Family Ties
by l.h. Zein
Summary: They would underestimate him. The strongest person he'd ever known had been underestimated, and she was his mother in all but blood. He molded himself, played the part he'd been cast to play, while he waited for his chance. Then Sirius Black had escaped. Twisted canon. AU picking up at the start of DH.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: This story kind of just came to me rather quickly, and I felt compelled to write it even though I told myself I wouldn't work on another story until I finished with Descent. Won't be update regularly until I finish my other story. Reviews = love.

* * *

 _October 31, 1981_

 _Amor Omnia Vincit_

Love conquers all. When Narcissa had been young she'd been instantly attached to the phrase. It had certainly seemed better than the Black family mantra toujour purr. Especially when there was nothing even remotely pure about her family, except for the blood that ran in their veins and even then that wasn't true. Not recently anyway. Dark magic was an infection, a corruption that had polluted the ancient and noble house of Black. Though they were not the only ones. The Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Avery, on and on the old families had fallen victim to the alluring addiction to power and possibility. To darkness.

 _Sanctimonia Vincet Semper_

Purity would always conquer. That was the family she had married into. It made her want to howl with laughter. Purity hadn't conquered a deranged half-blood maniac. No. It had failed them.

Love.

Love. She thought could conquer. Yet it hadn't saved Lucius from continuing to dabble in dangerous affairs. It hadn't saved the child in her belly from being born without a beating heart. But she couldn't stop hoping and believing it would be true. Love had given her hope, while purity had cost her her family. Her sister, her cousins...struck as though a tapestry was the only thing that wove their lines together.

It had cost Lucius a sister he no longer spoke of, and all she had done was marry for love. Married a man as pure as she was, but the only difference was that he was a traitor to his house and family, cut off and desolate.

Sirius.

Narcissa let out a weary sigh that rattled in her chest. She let her hands graze the fine wood of the crib that would no longer be needed. Her pregnancy had been a miracle. Lucius's exposure to the Dark Arts had affected him more than he liked to admit. Though now, he had no choice but to accept that his dabblings and ambitions for greatness had likely cost him the ability to continue his line.

Tears pooled in her eyes, though they did not fall.

Had it been only a year since Cassiopeia been born and buried?

She felt as though it had been a decade.

She fell in the rocking chair by the crib and clutched her stomach. No one had known of her daughter's birth and death. She'd gone into partial hiding with news of her pregnancy, but now, nearly a year after the fact and she still felt no desire to return to society.

A return meant explanations, and explanations meant that she would have to accept the reality that she would never, ever, be a mother.

Her arms wrapped even tighter around her middle.

She closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair, wondering if sleep would ever come back to her, when she felt the temperature in the room drop.

Her eyes fluttered open and she noticed the pooling light of a patronus fill the nursery.

"Cissy. You have no reason to answer this plea, but if any part of you still remembers that we once called each other family, please. Please come."

She froze, stuck in the impossible notion that she had heard her cousin's voice, let alone recognized it, after years of separation.

"Please. Please come home."

Home. Home was a notion of her childhood. Home was a memory from when she'd been Narcissa Black.

Perhaps it was her solitary ramblings and traitorous thoughts, more likely it was her loss of rationality from the nights of little to no sleep; either way Narcissa had made her decision.

With her fingers wrapped tightly around her wand, she disapparated to number 12 Grimmauld Place.

The house had seen better days. The shutters were falling, and the windows clouded. The white roses that had once grown at the entrance were wilted and rotting. Oh if her aunt could see this now.

She stepped cautiously up to the door, her wand easily pointed in front of her. Before she could even knock on the door, it had swung open.

Sirius.

His eyes were wild, darting back and forth from her to the surrounding outside. His hair was windswept and dirtied, and his clothes were torn in multiple places.

His wand was trained on her.

"What…" he cleared his throat, "What happened to your cake on your 12th birthday?"

"You and Regulus were playing with a Quaffle, and you decided chocolate mousse went quite well with Quidditch rubber."

The left corner of his mouth quirked up. "You have to admit, it was a memorable flavor."

She took a breath.

"Your 17th birthday, you sent me a letter. What did it say?" she asked.

"Blood is more than a face on a wall." Siruis said hoarsely before taking her by the arm and dragging her quickly into the house.

"Sirius what is going-"

Her question was drowned out by a sharp cry from the floor above.

"Bollocks." Sirius muttered rushing up the steps.

Narcissa frowned before heading up quickly after him. A door was swung open on the second floor, and she could hear Sirius cooing and soothing someone inside the room. She stepped closer and when she reached the doorway, she nearly fainted at the sight.

Sirius shot her a haphazard smirk.

"Cissy." he cleared his throat, adjusting the small body in his arms, "I'd like you to meet Draco, my son."

Her feet moved and without meaning to, her arms stretched out to take the bundle into her own grasp.

Draco looked up at her curiously, and her heart pounded at the soft gray-blue eyes that met her own.

"He's beautiful Sirius." she took a hand and combed through the soft strands of honey and white blonde.

"I have no one else I can ask this of." Sirius began pacing, his earlier panic roaring back into focus.

"Sirius." She shifted Draco in her arms. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm leaving Cissy."

She rocked her arms in an attempt to calm Draco back to sleep. When his eyes closed, she turned her attention back to her cousin.

"What in Merlin are you talking about?"

Sirius's expression darkened, and she caught, with dread, a familiar darkness in his own graying blue eyes.

"I'm going after a traitor."

Oh yes. She knew those words too. Lucius had said them more times than once, and they were often accompanied by a slew of spells and the obituaries in the Prophet that owls dropped off the next morning.

Lucius may have his vaults at his disposal, as well as his position, to protect him from scrutiny. Sirius, though, had nothing.

"You can't." She said darkly, gently placing Draco back into his crib.

"I can." Sirius hissed, his temper flaring, "I told you before. Family is not a face on a wall, and tonight two members of my family were destroyed by someone we all considered family. I want justice."

"You want vengeance." She interrupted, "Not justice. Sirius, think of your son. You leave now and succeed you may never see him again. You're leaving him without a father when he's already lost his mother."

"This is for my son."

"This is for you." Narcissa said harshly. "Do you think Draco cares if you avenge your friends' deaths? Think about him Sirius. If you're gone, what happens to him?"

"Please Cissy. Please take care of him." He said. He stepped to the crib and reached down to gently run a finger down his son's cheek.

"What about Lucius? Sirius." She grabbed him by the arm before he could move away from her.

Sirius looked at her. She stopped for a moment to take in the new lines she'd barely registered from her earlier evaluation. He looked so resolved. He wouldn't change his mind now.

"He won't turn away his own blood. After all, Draco is still his sister's son." Sirius said softly.

She met his eyes.

"Sirius. You're making a mistake."

Sirius's hands came up around hers untangling her grasp from his arm.

"It's my mistake to make."

He stepped away from her and fled the room. Draco, as though sensing his father's disappearance, woke and promptly began to cry.

"Hush love." She murmured, picking Draco back up from his crib. She looked around the room, hopelessly, as though there were answers in the dark walls and furniture. Draco buried his face in her chest. "Oh gods." she said tightening her hold on the tiny body in her arms. With one final look around the room, she disapparted.

She landed back in the nursery with Draco still quiet in her arms. She waited for Lucius that night, sitting in the rocking chair. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. She rocked. Eventually Draco fell asleep against her breast. Still, she stayed seated in the chair.

* * *

In the end, Lucius came with the Prophet. He paused in front of her and steeled his cool gaze on the bundle in her lap.

"This is Draco." She said meeting his eyes. Lucius said nothing, stepping closer until he could look directly at Draco's face. For the first time since she'd known him, Lucius staggered as he took in the child's features.

"Hers." He breathed looking up quickly at her.

Narcissa nodded once.

Something flashed in his molten eyes, and it stopped her lungs from filling with precious air.

Wordlessly, he handed her the prophet.

 _Sirius Black apprehended for murder of one Peter Pettigrew_

She dropped the paper quickly. "No. He didn't…" She glanced up at Lucius's face.

His jaw clenched. "No." He agreed, "I didn't believe it either." She stood abruptly minding Draco.

She looked back and Lucius and narrowed her eyes.

"You know he didn't do it."

"I have conjecture, but I can't use my knowledge of unregistered animagi and character to explain why one man is missing and the other is his supposed murderer."

Lucius looked down at Draco. There was acceptance in his eyes as he spoke next.

"He can't be Draco Black."

Narcissa held him tighter against her. She must have failed in hiding her shock at his easy acceptance, because Lucius seemed to smile slightly in understanding.

He sighed tiredly dropping to sit in the rocking chair she'd vacated.

"But he can be Draco Malfoy." Lucius said looking up at her and then dropping his gaze to Draco.

"Draco Black Malfoy." Narcissa whispered.

* * *

Draco became her son, and Lucius became his father. Though, it felt with every year that passed, Draco began to withdraw. He had questions. Merlin, how he had questions. Questions. Dreams. Things that Narcissa couldn't begin to answer. Things she didn't want to answer.

How could she explain to a child that his father had left him and that he would likely never see him again?

Like most things though, it seemed they were quite out of her control.

Draco sat straight on the edge of her bed, clutching a book opened to a familiar photo.

He looked up at her, with a strength that should not be present in a 10 year old.

His gaze dropped back to the book in his hands, his fingers tracing faces she knew as well now as she did 10 years ago.

She sat on the bed and took a corner of the book into her hands.

She saw her cousin's joyful face as he turned between his friends; the Hogwarts castle in the background.

Draco traced the curves of his face, the one's that had always been less sharp than Lucius's, that were mirrored on the man's face in the photo. He let out a breath.

"He's my father, isn't he?"


	2. Chapter 2

Draco could honestly say, he didn't remember being a child. Of course, there were those stolen moments of uninterrupted play and flying, most of which had been spent with Narcissa when Lucius had been away on business.

For the most part; however, he'd always been different. He'd been raised to be cool, aloof, collected. Yet, for as long as he was aware of it, he'd ached for rebellion. It had started as little whispers of betrayal from his subconscious that told him that he didn't quite belong here. It was why, when he stumbled upon his mother's alumni book and found the one photograph of her cousin Sirius Black that he finally understood.

His mother, Narcissa that is, had always told him he was too perceptive, too smart, to be a mere child.

He looked enough like Lucius, enough like Narcissa, to pass as their , where Lucius was sharp and pointed, Draco was carved. His jaw filled and lessened the edges of his chin and his nose, while aristocratic, differed slightly from either one of his 'parents'. The color of his eyes, though gray, contained far more blue and silver than could be found in Lucius's. Then of course, there was his hair. Strands of platinum blended like paint with honeyed blonde, making it a shade or two darker than Lucius's, though still not quite the shade of Narcissa's blonde locks. Something that all of them had noted, and led to Lucius or Narcissa charming his hair completely platinum whenever they went out. (At least until he could do it himself)

In short, his own appearance had fueled the questions, he'd silently pondered for most of his young life.

Then he'd seen the one, and only photo, his mother had forgotten to destroy of Sirius Black, and the world had seemed to finally snap into place. It was all there. Many of his feature, minus his blonde coloring, were there in this other man. It had confirmed what he'd already known. The difference was now he had a name.

And Salazar's rod it was a dangerous name.

Sirius Black, disowned and convicted member of what was once the most ancient and noble house of Black.

Like a glutton for punishment, he'd dug deeper.

When he came across an old photo of one Elena Malfoy, he'd nearly been sick. Her, he remembered from the nights of terror filled dreams of a room burning and smoke clouding the insides of his lungs. Dreams, he realized, that were actually memories of the night Death Eaters had come and burned their house down. The night Elena Malfoy had desperately created a portkey to escape with her only child before she died from complications due to smoke inhalation not an hour afterward.

Cheerful childhood to be sure.

He'd made a decision that day. He wanted it over. Over for the mother he'd never known and the one who still lived in silent terror to this very day.

So, he planned. He read. He practiced. And then, he decided what weapon would be the key to his eventual success.

They would underestimate him. The strongest person he'd ever known had been underestimated, and she was his mother in all but blood. He molded himself, played the part he'd been cast to play, while he waited for his chance.

Then Sirius Black had escaped.

It had sent the sky to fall at his feet and the sharp broken shards to nestle in his chest.

For all that, he only received a letter. Meeting him, this ever elusive father he did not remember, didn't come until the end of that eventful third year, months after his escape.

He'd stood completely silent in one of many drawing rooms in number 12 Grimmauld Place staring at the lanky form of his father. Every indignation. Every protest. Every single thought he'd ever wanted to voice to this man had simply died on his tongue. He couldn't speak. He couldn't say a single word.

Sirius had been awe, staring at him, from his feet all the way up to the top of his head. He had opened his mouth several times, before shutting it and clenching his jaw. He wanted to speak, to say anything, but he was as lost as Draco.

He'd sighed and collided with a sofa dispelling years worth of dust at the motion. Draco had crinkled his nose and stepped back to avoid the upheaval before speaking softly. "This place is a right dump, isn't it?"

Sirius had cracked a grin and made some rubbish joke, and like that the tension was slightly dissolved. To be sure, it was still there threaded in between awkwardness and apprehension. Though, Sirius seemed to determined to ignore it and carry on.

It had been an uneasy balance. He wanted to cling to his disappointment, to his hate, for Sirius and his abandonment, but seeing that gleam and clear happiness when his father looked at him was enough to make him significantly less hostile. So, he kept his visits brief and the conversation light. If he learned anything of actual use under Lucius, it had been the ability to get close to others without them getting close to you.

Remus, a part of the package that was his father, was at least more understanding. He didn't pretend that this reunion was ideal, and he didn't sugarcoat his disappointment in his friend's behavior. Draco appreciated it. Honesty. It was refreshing after a life of constant lies.

Well, a continued life of constant lies.

His plan continued, but when he stood at the top of that tower, facing a man he'd been feeding intel for as long as he'd been able to, he faltered.

He couldn't do it. To be sure, it would have helped him, allowing him further access to Voldemort. His hands shook as he lowered his wand staring down his Headmaster. Doing this, falling into this endless cycle of revenge and anger, was like repeating the mistakes of those who'd came before him. He couldn't, wouldn't, allow himself to do it. He'd learned enough. He had enough to bring down evil incarnate without having to sacrifice this small bit of innocence he still possessed.

Dumbledore knew it, and he'd given him a small encouraging smile.

It had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He'd been about to vocalize it when the Death Eaters had swarmed the tower. Seconds after, Snape had done the deed, just like Narcissa and Dumbledore had begged of him, and he was being dragged away with the others to return to Malfoy Manor.

He couldn't abandon his mother. He'd done all of this with her in mind. So he let himself be whisked away, despite Snape's near desperation to have him slip away.

Instead, he had stood before Voldemort and taken being crucioed for the better part of an hour before a searing pain tore through his arm, and he collapsed.

His life for Narcissa's.

 _He was ok with that._

Through blurry vision, he made out two figures lingering around him. Then, his mouth was being forced open and a potion shoved down his throat.

"You insolent child." Snape had hissed in his ear.

"Stop Severus. Stop. He may be only a boy, but he has never been a child." Narcissa had said, pressing salty kisses all across his face as Snape halted his impending death. "I'm saying goodbye for now Dragon." Her whispers still reaching him through his hazy daze. "Stay alive my love."

"Mum." he croaked out reaching out blindly to her.

Narcissa smiled kissing the insides of his wrists and then his palms before turning to Snape. With a single tilt of her head, Snape had gathered Draco up in his arms and spun them both to the front steps of the rather familiar number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Sirius had a fit when he saw him.

For three weeks, he hardly let him walk to the bathroom on his own. By the end of the first month, he'd felt suffocated. He left with a heavy glamour in place after one particular row, and didn't come back for a week.

When he did return, he'd been hungry and lucky to still be standing after nights without sleep. He blamed the delirium for his breakdown in Sirius's arms. He hadn't just sobbed that night, he'd trembled, broken with the wreckage around him. Sirius had scooped him up and put him to bed and the next day greeted him with a plate of pancakes.

He'd been here ever since.

Though, with news that Grimmauld Place was about to gain three new occupants, he was seriously debating staying.

He may be resigned to fighting with the Light in order to play out his little plan, but that didn't mean he wanted to become roommates with Harry sodding Potter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote by Milton.

A/N: Review! Review! Review!

* * *

Her summer had been an exercise in hell. It had been one desperate move after another that had forced her to make choices she was certain nearly destroyed her.

This was a descent into the darkness that was coming. Through it all, she'd ground her teeth and kept her head held high.

 _Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light._

She had to believe they would endure, and to endure, she had to plan.

Her parents had been her main concern. There lives were quite literally in her hands, and however capable she was, she could not control for anything. When it came down to the final decision, she'd cried for hours. Even now, she wasn't certain how she'd drawn upon the strength to cast the spell. All she knew was one minute the Grangers had existed and the next they were they were strangers ready to take an extended trip to Australia.

 _Please forgive me for it, but it will keep you alive._

That had been her single plea every day after the fact. Her friends, her family really, had supported her. Ron, especially, had been there for her. Yet, as they'd grown closer and even attempted to cross from best friends into more, she'd realized she couldn't do it.

The timing for one was atrocious. Though, feelings never really operated on a schedule. But even more than that was her immense sense of kinship, family, like he filled the space of a brother and not a lover.

They thought different. Moved different. Wanted entirely different things out of their lives.

It had been awkward, but mercifully brief. At least, they'd both agreed on that part.

Now though, she had bigger things to worry about than failed relationships and ghosts of her past decisions. She stood firmly behind Harry and Ron, who were paying rapt attention as Sirius ran down the list of renovations he'd recently done to Grimmauld Place.

With Harry free from the Dursleys and the remnants of whatever protective magic had existed in that awful home, they'd all agreed to take up residence at Grimmauld Place. It was safe, strategic, and full of resources to exploit.

And Harry wanted to remain close to the only father figure he'd ever truly known. Sirius Black.

Said man was an enigma to her. His narrow escape from the veil, as well as the faraway look that often crossed his eyes, made her think there was more to him than she'd previously believed.

She'd have time to put it all together now. They needed months more of research before she was even remotely comfortable with going after any leads on the horcruxes.

So, she'd research and observe.

She had a talent for both.

She shook her head and tried to focus on Sirius and his humorous anecdotes that involved he and Remus pranking one another as they went through floor by floor and redid the whole house.

Try as she might, but she could not focus. Instead, she was continuously distracted by her thoughts, and the distinct feeling of being watched.

Her eyes drifted to the photos now decorating the mantle. One in particular, drew her eyes. It was of a woman with pale eyes and icy blonde hair that gleamed with honey in the sunlight. Her face was stretched into a wide grin that would grow into a full out laugh, where she would throw her head back as her whole body shook with the motion. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

She felt eyes settle on her back, and when she half-turned she saw Sirius regarding the photo.

"My wife." he murmured.

She blinked, and she heard Harry's sharp intake of breath from behind them.

"I didn't know you were married." she said softly.

Sirius shook his head. "I was, for a short while at least." he murmured.

He turned and led them up the steps calling out that a few rooms on the second floor and all of the third floor was open for them to choose to stay in. Though, when Ron walked to the fifth room from the stairs, Sirius had stopped him.

"It's occupied." he'd said tersely before continuing on with their tour of the house.

For Hermione; though, the rest of the tour was as lackluster as the first half. Her mind kept drifting to the occupied room on the second floor and the sensation of being watched.

Sirius didn't mention their additional house guest, and all three of them were hesitant to ask. Harry; though, looked about ready to burst from the strain of all his questions by the time dinner came and went with still no sign of the fifth member of the house.

In the end, the three of them clambered up to the third floor to bed without even a trace of this mystery guest.

As she settled beneath her covers, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Sirius had finally lost it from being cooped up in this dank house. Her hands trailed the seams of the soft sheets.

No. Not dank. At least not anymore.

She smiled slightly to herself as she drifted off into dreams, determined to solve this complex riddle in the morning.

* * *

When she woke, she noticed two things. One, the house was still quiet. Two, it was extremely early in the morning if the faint traces of light from her window were anything to go by.

She swung her legs to dangle off the side of the bed and strained her ears to listen, hoping to catch a sound beside the creaks of the old house. She shook her head and stepped up to her feet and headed to the bathroom. There was at least one benefit to being up so early. She wouldn't have to wrestle her way into the loo to complete her morning ritual.

It wasn't long after that that she made her way down the steps toward the kitchen in desperate need of some source of caffeine. As she neared the kitchen, she could her soft voices coming from inside the room. She paused, craning her neck to listen closer to the voices.

The first was easily Sirius. It was the second voice that gave her pause. It sounded so painfully familiar.

"Coffee?" Sirius asked.

She made out faint grumbling.

"Not yours. You can't make a decent cup to save your life." the other voice muttered.

There was a sound of cabinets being opened and closed.

"If that blasted house elf weren't such a menace, I wouldn't have to." Sirius said.

The other man snickered. "If you were nicer to him…"

"Don't even start." Sirius cut him off.

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She silently agreed with the other voice. If Sirius was only polite to Kreature, he might be more pleasant to be around.

She edged closer to the kitchen door, hoping to catch a glimpse through the thin crack to the inside.

"Have you told them...About me that is."

Sirius let out a breath. "Not exactly. They know about Lena though."

The other snorted.

After a moment, the same man spoke again.

"I should just go. It would be easier, and you…"

"No -"

Hermione stiffened at the hand that rested on her back. She turned her neck and made out Harry's bright green eyes.

"What's going on?" He mouthed.

She shook her head and motioned for them both to keep listening.

"You're my -"

"Stop. Someone's here." the other voice interrupted.

"I don't care." Sirius grumbled, "They're going to know eventually. You're my son, and-"

The door flew open and Harry and Hermione immediately scrambled to stand upright, blinking at the onslaught of light from the other room.

When her vision adjusted, she let out a gasp at the same time Harry spat out his first words.

"Malfoy."

Harry's wand was out and trained on the boy in question.

Only. He didn't quite look like the Malfoy they knew.

To be sure, he was still the same tall and lithe boy, but something about him… Her eyes trailed to his hair, a shade or so darker than she remembered, and down to his hands which were surprisingly empty.

He was looking between her and Harry intently, and she was surprised to find only mild annoyance etched into his face.

He turned then to Sirius, who was still somewhat shocked at their intrusion, that he hadn't even moved from his spot by the kitchen table.

"I told you this was a fucking bad idea." Draco said to Sirius, keeping his eyes trained on Harry's wand.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Harry spat.

"Harry." She grabbed his arm before he could lash out with the anger that was so clearly boiling beneath his skin.

"What Potter." Malfoy smirked, "Going to slice me up again?"

She turned sharply at Malfoy with an incredulous look on her face. Surely, he wasn't actually taunting Harry, while he was unarmed.

Sirius seemed to finally recover, because in seconds he had taken Draco by the shoulder and pushed him to stand slightly behind him. She didn't miss the exasperated expression on his face before he turned to regard Harry and her.

"Harry." He said slowly, "Put your wand away."

Harry shook beside her. "No. No. He...He helped killed Dumbledore. He's a Dea-"

"Harry." Sirius said sharply, "The wand."

She put her hand on Harry's back and murmured for him to comply. All the while, she kept her gaze trained on Malfoy. His hands were clenched, but that seemed to be the only outward appearance of his ire. Though his eyes, she stopped, focusing on them. They seemed raging and dangerous beneath his mask of calm.

She could feel it dipping into the air around them, thickening and nearly sparking.

It gave her the distinct impression that Malfoy (or was it Black?) was in no way at a disadvantage, even if he wasn't holding a wand.

Harry dropped his hand, but kept his wand out in sight.

"Why is he here?"

Sirius let out a tired sigh. It made him look older somehow.

"Draco," he inclined his head at the blonde in question, "is my son."

The disbelieving and murderous expression returned to Harry's face.

"He can't be. He's a-"

"Call me a Death Eater one more time Potter, and I will cut out your tongue and feed it to my owl." Draco said shoving passed Sirius.

Hermione's eyes drifted to his palms, and she gasped at the sparks shooting out from his hands.

She stepped in front of Harry and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Let's not do anything before we've heard the full story." she said calmly, "I'm sure Sirius has a good reason to have kept this a secret."

She could practically feel Draco's smirk on her back, but she let out a sigh of relief when the magic in the air seemed to recede.

"Good." Sirius said, relaxing slightly motioning for them to all take a seat around the table. Draco; though, stood rigidly by Sirius and made no move to join.

"Draco." Sirius admonished.

Draco shot him a look before moving to exit the kitchen. Sirius turned to them, an apology clear on his face before he jumped to follow his son. The door hung open, leaving the majority of the conversation to easily be heard from either room.

Sirius seemed to be arguing in vain with Draco. Hermione bit her lip, feeling slightly uncomfortable at eavesdropping at this particularly conversation, but unable to stop.

"Just sit down a minute, and I'll explain-"

"I'm leaving. I should have left when you told me they'd be coming -"

"Give me an hour to explain and I'll -"

Their voices were not shouts, but they weren't necessarily trying stay silent either. Harry seemed intrigued, though his face was carefully blank, but there was no mistaking the interest that gleam in his eyes. She let out a breath, as their voices seemed to quiet.

"Fine." Draco said harshly, "One hour, but I'm still leaving the house. Don't. They'll listen better if I'm not there."

"Draco." Sirius protested, but it was drowned out by the crack of an apparation.

Sirius grumbled before stomping back into the kitchen his wand tapping furiously at his thigh. He let out a breath and in a moment his Patronus floated out from his wand.

"Moony, he's skived off again. Let me know if you find him in one of the usual spots." He flicked his wand and his patronus scurried out of the room.

He sighed, bringing a hand up to rub his face. "I swear he's trying to kill me slowly."

They were all silent for a moment, before Hermione cleared her throat.

Neither Sirius nor Harry seemed willing to break the silence, but her curiosity had been peaked. She wanted this story, and no doubt, when Harry calmed, he would want it too.

"So Professor Lupin also knows about Mal-Draco." Hermione corrected, assuming it would be best to address the boy in question by his first name rather than invite the debate over surnames into the equation.

Sirius gave her a half smile before nodding. "Remus has always known. He was there when Draco was born."

Harry made a distressed noise, but otherwise made no move to speak. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes before focusing on the next question on her list.

"Why was he raised by the Malfoy's?" she asked just as Harry chose then to finally join their conversation.

"How could you not tell me?"

Sirius grimaced. "Harry I know you're hurt and probably feeling a little betrayed, but it was just safe for everyone that it was kept a secret. I'm not even sure Lucius knows that Draco is aware."

"And where does Lucius," Harry said sharply, "Think his precious son is?"

"Dead." Sirius said flatly, "Draco's death was faked after Dumbledore." He grumbled something near the end of his sentence.

She thought it sounded very much like 'it very much could have been a real one'.

Harry's anger deflated, just as Sirius slumped back into his chair.

"After your parents," Sirius's voice broke. He took in a sharp breath before continuing, "I decided to go after that rat, and I knew things might not end well. Lena, Draco's mother, was already...gone in a fire the year before, so I sent for Narcissa. I played on her emotions. I knew she wanted children and that bastard Malfoy wasn't going to give her any, so I dropped Draco in her arms and went after Peter."

Harry was quiet, lost in thought. She was just as shocked, though her brain seemed to scream for her to ask more questions.

"And Lucius took him in, just like that." She said softly.

Sirius straightened, a fire burning in his light eyes.

"I don't think Malfoy was thinking of me when he took in Draco." he said bitterly. Before she could ask just what Sirius meant, he had already begun to speak.

"My wife, Lena, before I married her...her name was Elena Malfoy."

She expected some kind of explosion. Some kind of reaction. Anything.

Her heart drummed as she stole a glance at Harry. His face was eerily blank, and he took some time clearing his throat before he spoke.

"You married one of them."

"Don't say it Harry." Sirius warned, "Lena was a good person, a committed Order member, and I was lucky that she agreed to marry me."

Her heart shattered at the way Sirius's voice seemed to soften as he spoke of his dead wife, and admired how it never faltered. She couldn't say she would have been the same had it all happened to her.

Harry seemed to agree, because his anger seemed to finally dissipate at the soothing quality of Sirius's words. He nodded in understanding, and Sirius visibly relaxed in his chair.

"Did…" Harry cleared his throat, "Did Draco know before our third year?"

It wasn't the clearest of questions, but they all seemed to understand it well enough. Sirius gave a swift nod.

"Narcissa said he's known even before that. Figured it out himself." Sirius murmured, a hint of pride easily detected in his tone.

"He still let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts." Harry said harshly.

She kicked Harry from beneath the table, but he didn't seem the slightest bit deterred.

Sirius grimaced. "Yes he did, but it's not what you think. Yes, Draco let them in, and yes he wanted to join their ranks, but not because…" he sighed, "Draco has officially been a spy for the Order of the Phoenix since he was 13 years old, and before that he was sending information to Dumbledore whenever it seemed important."

This entire time, he'd been on their side.

They'd fallen for it. The act he'd put up for them to watch. She didn't know how to feel about it. What to think. It tilted the world the other way and left her head spinning.

Yet, above all of this, somehow, her question seemed to pass from her lips unbidden.

"Did they mark him?"

Sirius's eyes darkened, and for a moment she was yanked into the raging despair circling him. Then, as though she'd imagined it, he'd hardened with fury like she'd never seen.

"No, but they did do something." he said, voice low, "He just won't say what. Annoyingly private bugger."

Again she caught his pain, and before she could stop, Hermione had reached over the table to grasp one of Sirius's hands in hers. She squeezed and shot him a thin smile.

"At least now he's safe with you."

He returned the gesture.

"I know you both have had your fair share of fights with him, but you have to understand that he's been playing a role his whole life. If you can see passed it, he's." Sirius's breath hitched, "he's a good kid, incredibly bright."

He took his eyes from Hermione and drifted to gaze at his godson.

"I'm not expecting miracles, or for you both to suddenly become friends, but I hope that, at least, we can all live here peacefully."

She held her breath as she watched Harry, who let his eyes drift between hers and Sirius. After a moment, he nodded and Sirius's grin bursted forward.

"Brilliant. Now, would any of you like some coffee?"

* * *

Draco settled in the grass not far from the simple headstone in front of him.

Elena Black née Malfoy

 _I love you simply, without problems or pride. (naruda)_

He smiled slightly at the phrase. He hoped all this ancestors, on both sides of his family, were rolling in their graves over a muggle poet's words on a stone for one of their own.

He crossed his legs and leant back onto his hands.

When he'd first discovered his heritage, he'd searched for this place for what had felt like days. After he found it, he hadn't wanted to come. It was a strange thing, looking at the grave of a mother you never knew. He had questions, but every time he'd ever tried to come out and ask them, something had stood in the way. His memories of her, for one, had been a constant source of terror that had clawed at his subconscious.

Fire.

Smoke.

Pain.

He still had them to this day, the way his lungs didn't work just right or the little burns on his thighs that hadn't healed properly after the incident.

All he knew of his birth mother was death and terror, despite his inherent knowledge that she had loved him beyond belief.

It didn't make it easier.

Yet, he'd still managed to come. He'd been angry the first time. In the haze of his emotions, he'd somehow ended up before her grave pouring out his frustrations.

It was therapeutic, calming. Frankly, he was finding he needed that more and more.

He let out a breath and focused once more on the stone headstone.

"Hi." He said softly.

He bit his lip. He wasn't sure how to begin, what to say. He hadn't even thought before he'd apparated here.

He tried not to overthink it, and just let the words tumble out from his lips.

"I haven't been in a while, and I'm sorry for that." he continued letting his eyes drop to the flowers charmed at the base of the grave.

"Was he always this overbearing? I swear he goes mental if I even say I want to go out for ice cream." he rolled his eyes upwards, thinking of Sirius. It seemed years of lost parenting had culminated into one overprotective and paranoid father.

He let out a breath.

"I suppose I understand it though." he lent forward, grazing his fingertips on the flower petals.

"I just wish he would realize I'm not a child. I...I've already had a parent." he murmured, "Not that she replaced you or anything, but...she's my mum."

He swallowed roughly, his throat too tight and dry for his liking.

He decided to change topics and focus on the one that had drove him here to seek refuge.

"I don't want to go back and have to listen to Potter slander either one of you."

He winced then at the flare of pain in his arm. He gingerly took a hand and began to massage at his skin, hoping to relieve some of the discomfort. He'd have to put more of the salve on when he got back.

"I want to hate him for bringing Potter, for...for everything. I don't know." He trailed off, pulling his knees up and leaning his head to rest against them.

"I want...well fuck I guess it doesn't matter what I want. I want the war to be over and it's just begun. I want Mum safe. I...I want to remember you on my own, but all I get when I do that is memories of being burned."

He stood up abruptly. He hadn't meant to spill everything out to a solitary grave when he'd apparated here. He'd wanted quiet not...he trembled, backing away slowly. He needed to get out of here before he did something even worse, like cry at his weakness.

"Wotcher Draco."

He let out a breath and half turned to see his bubble gum pink haired cousin walking carefully over toward him. He glanced around then, looking for Remus. He'd learned by now that where one was, the other surely followed.

"Nymphadora." he said stiffly.

She grimaced. "I told you it's Tonks. Merlin, all your brains and you can't remember one simple thing."

He shook his head, folding his arms and pressing them against his chest.

"Don't tell me he's already sent out a search party."

She playfully nudged him. "Considering the messes you've gotten yourself into, I'd be worried too."

"Hah." He said, shaking his head.

They fell into silence, both staring out at the headstone in front of them. For a moment, he wondered what Tonks saw as she looked at his mother's grave. Did she remember her? Did she think him strange for coming to it?

He bit the inside of his cheek.

It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

"You know he does care Draco. He -"

"I was supposed to get one hour of peace, not a lecture." he said sharply.

"Rather odd to find peace in a graveyard though."

Tonks grinned brightly as she turned to greet Remus. Draco shook his head again and didn't greet Remus until he stood beside him.

"Yeah well, it's not like the dead can kick up a fuss."

"Your grandmother's portrait is proof of the contrary."

Unbidden, he felt his lips twist into a smirk that he quickly followed up with a scowl.

"I'm of age now. I don't need a babysitter let alone two." he turned to eye both of them, telling them through his gaze to bugger off.

Remus's eyes were bright, but it was the only hint of his face that showed his amusement at Draco's antics.

"We're not babysitting you Draco. We're simply paying our respects. It's not a crime, is it?"

He shook his head, and bit his lip from dishing out a rather scathing retort. Instead he focused on the grave before him, and before he realized it his hand had come up to the simple chain he kept around his neck. He traced the simple markings on the wedding band threaded through the chain. It was one of the few physical possessions he had of Lena's. He sighed before tucking the chain back beneath his shirt.

"Right. No need to get your knickers in a knot. I'm going back." He gave them both a look, "The hour's almost up anyway."

Without waiting for a response, he spun away and landed straight in his room at Grimmauld Place.

He glanced around the room before sitting tiredly on the edge of the bed. It was quite a bit smaller than the room he'd had at the Manor, but not less decadent. With the rich wooden floors and furniture, he could easily see the similar pureblood aristocratic tastes reflected in both.

He fell back on the bed, letting his legs dangle off the edge before he noticed the book he'd been reading still laying casually on the mattress.

He took it into his hand and traced the cover.

He'd charmed it of course. Wouldn't do for anyone to know what exactly he'd been reading.

He shook his head cracking open the book and flipping to where he'd left off.

Destroying Products of Dark Magic.

* * *

It was cheerful through breakfast, only interrupted by Ron's outburst when he was told the identify of the last resident of the house. He'd had to leave to be alone with his thoughts after his initial outburst.

Sirius had remained tight lipped. She could feel his increasing agitation as the minutes ticked on, each with no sign of Draco. He'd take to distractions. Quidditch with the boys, drifting down the halls.

When the second hour passed he was frantic.

Her heart went out to him, and she found herself gripping his hand in order to offer him some form of comfort.

"He's fine. I'm sure he's just lost track of time."

Sirius shook his head. "No. No. He's done this before. Left and I didn't see him for a week."

She'd frowned at that, unsure really how to respond. She was saved from having to when the Floo sounded and Sirius bolted up right. A minute later, Remus walked in and Sirius jumped to his feet.

"Tell me you found him."

Remus frowned, confusion clear on his face.

"I did. I found him hours ago. He told me he was coming back here."

As he spoke, Hermione saw both Sirius and Remus grow more and more agitated.

"He said he was coming back. He seemed truthful. Did you check the rest of the house? Has he ever told you of any places -"

"He doesn't tell me anything." Sirius said, voice rising, "For Merlin's sake, he didn't even tell me when all the dust in this place was making him sick until he'd had three sinus infections and a fit where he nearly stopped breathing."

She let out a breath, wondering when she'd become the house peacemaker, before she spoke next.

"Sirius." Hermione said softly, forcing both men to turn to her, "Perhaps we should split up and check everywhere in the house. If Professor Lupin believes Draco came back her, than I believe he did too."

Remus shot her a grateful smile, latching onto her calm rationale with a fervor.

"See. He's probably just lost track of time. We can check the Library. You told me before he's spent hours in there at a time."

Had he? She'd have to file that away to examine later. The more she heard about Draco from others, the more confused she was about what had been real and what had not over the years that she'd known him.

It seemed to her that she couldn't rely on her impressions. More and more, they were turning out to be completely false.

Sirius was shaking his head. "But if he did leave. Shit." He began pacing the room, "He just doesn't realize how dangerous it is...and he could be anywhere and…"

"What in Salazar's name is going on in here?"

Draco stepped cautiously into the room, rubbing tiredly at his face.

In a move that shocked them all, Sirius shot across the room and pulled Draco into a tight hug. He seemed to be in a state of disbelief as his own arms hesitantly dropped to return the embrace.

She watched them, hoping her clear fascination was not so obvious on her face. It was a strange sight to be sure. There was the boy she knew of but knew nothing about and a man who she'd regarded as more of a child locked in a man's body embracing like the world had ended, and they were rising from the rubble. She'd never seen Draco behave even remotely soft, but there he was placating his panicked father with soothing words.

Without meaning to she caught some of his explanations, he'd had another headache and taken a potion that had completely knocked him out. No he wasn't leaving. No he hadn't meant to worry anyone. On and on. She didn't miss the slight confusion on his face throughout the tirade.

 _Like he was unsure why Sirius was so torn up that he'd been missing at all._

It was food for thought, and considering she planned to stay here until she and the boys had a plan to find all of Voldemort's horcruxes, she had time to form new conclusions on the entity that was Draco Black.

He seemed almost as much of a mystery as the horcrux hunt itself.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Review! Review! Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote by E.A. Bucchianeri

* * *

Humans held an innate desire for the unknown. A problem had to be solved. A theory had to be proved. She'd personally always had a weakness for it. Her natural curiosity often prompted her to search and search until she solved the latest puzzle that had stumbled into her path.

"It's the unknown that draws people", she'd once read, and Draco was most certainly unknown.

Yet, like most mysterious things, he evaded her. For all the attention he'd sought in their youth, he seemed determined to make himself scarce.

He'd be there for meals, for moments she might see him in the library, but most of the time she found no trace of him.

She wondered if it was because he was as uncomfortable with their new living arrangements as the rest of them, if he was taking precautions that Harry may decide to retaliate for all the misdeeds that had occurred over the last year, or if he was, in fact, plotting to get himself out of this situation altogether.

If she couldn't get to the source, she'd get to those around him. Remus proved the be the best when it came to discussing Draco. He was objective. She'd asked him what he thought about him, and his answer had shocked her as much as it had intrigued her.

 _He may in fact be too smart for his own good. The only way he let's you know something is if he wants you to know it to begin with._

When she'd asked about his loyalties, his position, Remus had shot her a dark look. She was ashamed at herself for his obvious disappointment and displeasure at her suspicions, even now she felt it decorating her cheeks.

 _Make no mistake Hermione. That boy has wanted Voldemort dead long before you were even aware he existed. If anything, he may already know how to do it._

She had doubts about that, but she didn't voice them to Remus. Though, long after the conversation had ended, she wondered if perhaps he was right.

There was something about this Draco that set him apart. She'd seen it before; glimpses really, when they were back at Hogwarts. Moments that she'd stumble upon him in the library, the only other student who seemed to make a home between the shelves that stayed occupied right till curfew.

He'd never spoken ill of her then, when they were the only occupants besides Madame Pince. She'd thought it was because the library was neutral ground, and for all his apparent nastiness outside amongst their peers, she knew he was intelligent with a respect for books and knowledge that rivaled her own. He wasn't right behind her in marks for nothing.

Sometimes he was polite, asking for a book she'd taken before he could get to it, or if she happened to know a good source for something or another.

In fact, after or before fourth year, she realized, he'd hardly spared her a second glance when he taunted Harry or Ron.

All that anger to her two friends, but none for her.

It left her mind spinning.

She stumbled into the room as she took in that she was not alone. No. Ironically, when she was not looking for him, she had found him.

Draco stood examining the hanging tapestry intently.

If he hadn't straightened slightly at her intrusion, she would have thought he hadn't noticed her at all.

"The line changed." He said softly, and it took her a second to realize he was in fact talking to her.

"The line?" She said, swallowing hard.

She caught his lips quirk up into a small smile before it disappeared, and he motioned for her to come closer.

She glanced at him oddly before turning her gaze at the tapestry. She followed his line of sight and realized what he'd been talking about.

When she'd last seen his name on this family tree it had come from a line that started with the name Narcissa Black. Now, his name and face had shifted over to fall under a new name...Sirius Black.

She blinked.

"Happened after Potter sliced me up." He said, anticipating her question.

Even more puzzling was his lack of emotion as he continued to speak.

"I was bleeding out, pretty much at Death's door. It broke the enchantment." He said shaking his head, "It's how Sirius realized something had happened to me. You know he actually growled and threatened his way back into the school to see me?"

"Parents do remarkable things for their children." she said.

"Not always."

That comment made her blood run cold. It was the first he'd said that held even a spark of emotion in it. She nearly hit herself as she realized why.

Draco had been abandoned.

Whatever Sirius's reasons, they would never lessen the blow the action had caused.

"He's trying now. We all can see it." She said, unsure why she felt the need to both defend Sirius and comfort Draco, "He's happy to have you here, despite the circumstances."

Draco half-turned his face away from the tapestry. There was a curious, though sincere, look on his face that left his eyes looking a little too bright in the low light.

"And you think I should feel happy that he feels that way?"

Her heart hammered at the question. Truly, she didn't know how to respond.

"I can't tell you how you should feel."

He nodded once.

"Yes well, I'm tired of listening to people tell me how and what I should do." The left side of his mouth inched up, "I am claiming the right to be unhappy."

She blinked once, then again. Had he quoted a book to her?

"Brave New World." She whispered, "A muggle book. You've read that?"

Draco hummed in response, and turned to look her straight in the eye. He tilted his head to the side.

She got the strange impression he was disappointed in her.

"Of all people Granger, I thought at least you wouldn't be one to underestimate me."

He turned and left her, staring dumbly at his name on the tapestry.

She took a breath before she spun on her heel to try and catch up with him. She wanted to talk, argue, anything really. She needed to figure out this contradiction of a boy on the verge of becoming a man.

She stumbled out into the hall, but found no trace of him. It wasn't until the low crack of an apparation that she realized he was gone.

She nearly stomped her foot in frustration.

How could he do that? Travel outwards when he was assumed dead and in danger if he was found alive?

It made him seem brave.

 _Or reckless._

She shook her head and let out a sigh. She'd leave it for now.

Her feet took her up the steps, but she stopped right on the second floor landing. There was rustling and cursing coming from one of the rooms down the hall, and she knew for a fact it couldn't be Draco.

Frowning, she stepped closer to the room and pushed the door of Draco's bedroom open.

Harry and Ron had frozen as the door swung open, and both visibly relaxed seeing it was only her.

She glanced around them to see drawers swung open and many of their contents spilled on the floor.

"What are you two doing in here?" She hissed, shutting the door quickly behind her.

"Searching." Harry said, a hint of guilt in his expression.

"For what?" she said, stepping closer.

"Come on Mione." Ron said then, "You can't believe that the ferret actually has good intentions. Even if he does, I think all of us would feel more relaxed if we had proof."

"Proof of innocence or of guilt?" She said harshly, flicking her wand to the drawers to right them.

"Either." Ron said, ignoring her in favor of examining the contents of the bedside table.

She balled her fists and spun toward Harry. "This is wrong Harry. You're violating his privacy. You have no right accusing him of anything when he hasn't spoken a single word to you since the first day we got here."

"And why do you think that is?" Harry jumped to his feet, "Why avoid me? He's hiding something. I know it."

She folded her arms, "Did you ever think he was avoiding you simply because he doesn't want to start a fight with you? At least one of you two is actually respecting Sirius's wishes for peace."

At that Harry dropped his gaze down, a truly guilty expression marring his features.

She let out a breath and was about to usher them all out of the room when she heard Ron let out a string of curses from behind her.

"He's got a bloody apothecary in here." Ron muttered.

Unable to stop herself, Hermione moved to look over Ron's shoulder at the contents of the drawer. True to Ron's declaration the drawer was filled with potions.

Her eyes scanned the vials.

"Headaches." She murmured looking over one row, "Nausea, Muscle relaxants, Allergy…"

She felt Harry press up close behind her to also look.

"Why so many?" he muttered close to her ear.

"Well headaches, nausea, and muscle spasms are often aftereffects of…." she trailed off as her mouth went dry.

Aftereffects of torture.

She bit her tongue.

Sirius had implied that while Draco had been with the Death Eaters, his time had been anything but pleasant, but seeing proof of it made her stomach turn.

She stole a glance at Harry to find his face pale. He'd come to the same conclusion as she had. He swallowed roughly and opened his mouth to speak, when Ron once again interrupted them.

"What the bloody hell is this?"

Ron turned, waving a small white object toward them.

She grabbed his outstretched hands and took the object into hers. She stared in confusion at the inhaler before realizing that Ron was still waiting for her answer.

"It's muggle medicine. Malfoy must have been to a muggle doctor to get it."

"Medicine for what?" Ron said eyeing the object before taking it from her hands and returning it to the drawer.

"It helps people with lung problems to breathe." She stole a glance then to Harry, who seemed just as shocked as she was.

Draco had a small pharmacy in his room, complete with muggle medication.

"Sirius said he had issues when he first got here. I'm sure they couldn't take him to a normal Healer. Remus knows the muggle world pretty well, that's probably how he got it." Harry muttered.

She stole another glance at the open drawer and made out three more inhalers inside it.

She didn't contradict Harry, though it was clear from her inventory that Draco had an issue that was more than just a temporary problem.

Her eyes widened as she recalled Sirius's explanation of his wife's death.

In a fire.

She'd died in a fire.

Smoke inhalation was known to cause lasting issues, based on how long the exposure.

Did that mean Draco had been there in the fire with his mother? It made sense. He'd have been so young, and developing lungs would damage quickly from the smoke.

She bit her lip, pulling both of the boys out of the room.

While their actions had been a complete violation, She had learned more than expected from their brief interlude in Draco's room.

If anything, at least her boys didn't think he had anything dark and dangerous hidden with him in the house.

Both were obviously reassuring thoughts.

* * *

Draco straightened his collar once more as he waited within the Leaky Cauldron. He resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair, and instead balled his fists and placed them firmly on his lap.

Fidgeting would draw attention to him, and he didn't need that right now.

He sighed, looking down once more at his transfigured clothing, and from the reflection of his glass, he knew his glamour was holding as well.

He resisted the urge to snort. Of course it would hold. He'd had a lifetime of practice with them, didn't he?

He watched the influx of patrons before casting his eyes downward. When the seat next to him slid out and was filled, he didn't so much as raise a brow.

He let out a breath and took another shot from the glasses in front of him before he turned his head to greet the other.

Theodore Nott was a curious person. To any who'd ever seen him, they'd recall him as being very polite, withdrawn, and easy to attribute to the background of whatever scene he was a part of. A strength in their house.

He was tall, nearly Draco's height, but where Draco's features were striking, Theo possessed a more subtle aristocratic edge in his face. Olive skin. Green eyes. The females of Hogwarts had certainly appreciated his looks.

But for all that, there was one undesirable blemish against one Theo Nott. He was also the son of a Death Eater.

Oddly though, he held none of the prejudices of his father. In fact, it had confused him so much, he'd been reluctant to grow close to him despite their childhood interactions.

Two things had eventually led to this rekindled friendship and trust in the other. One was the truth behind the former Lady Nott's death. Death by way of a cursed object was no pretty sight, and knowing the object had come into their house by way of his father's "employer" was the first spark in Theo's growing resentment of his father and family name.

The second, well, Theo may be a Slytherin, but he was not as careful as Draco was in guarding his emotions. Catching him glancing at one half blood Tracey Davis was enough for Draco to realize that Theo would do anything for the other girl bloodline be damned.

It had sealed it all.

"And they say the dead aren't among the living." Theo murmured in greeting before taking one of the glasses before them and downing it quickly.

He smirked in response, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, I'm not dead yet. Believe me, it was not for a lack of trying."

Theo grimaced, glancing him over as though checking for remnants of the tortures of that night. No doubt he'd heard accounts of it.

Draco hid the scars of it well. Calming draughts for the shakes and tremors, and silencing charms for the dreams. He'd endure. He'd come too far to be destroyed by such things, no matter how disastrous.

After a moment, Theo gave him a slight nod, and the matter was considered dropped between them. He felt something spark in his chest at Theo's obvious concern. It was a validation. He'd chosen his friendships well.

"How…" He swallowed roughly, "How is everyone?"

Theo let out a breath.

"Your mum's alright. You'd never guess anything from the look of her." Theo cracked a thin smile, "She does miss you though. It's in her eyes."

Draco let his eyes drop to his shoes as he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Pansy's devastated, but she's keeping herself busy to avoid really thinking about it. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if you hear about a new shrine erected in your honor. She's hoarding your things."

He cracked a smirk at that.

"She's always been a bit over the top."

Theo shook his head. "It's like losing a brother, a piece of family. It wasn't easy, even for me, and I knew you weren't six feet under."

His hackles rose at the genuine sentiment, and he was overcome with the desire to announce there was still time for all that to change. As quickly as the urge came, he swallowed the defense bitterly.

"Let's hope we end this soon, and no one has to lose anymore."

Theo gave him a curt nod before drawing a small drawstring pouch from his pocket and passing it to him. He stowed it in his own pockets without a second's pause.

"Still can't believe you left me to hold on to that." Theo said taking another shot.

Draco shrugged and mimicked the motion.

"You knew how to handle it, and...what's that saying hide your treasures in plain sight or some rubbish."

Theo noticeably shivered then. "Treasure. Hah. If I never see that thing again, it will be too soon." He cast his green eyes up to meet Draco's. "So you still think there's something in the castle?"

He nodded.

"Ravenclaw is my bet. Gryffindor was too well documented. Hufflepuff I already know. It could be Slytherin, but the fact that most accounts of his artifacts are dubious at best and, " He patted the pouch now in his pocket, "Well that leaves Ravenclaw."

"We'll be looking then." Theo said standing slowly. "Next time'll be Blaise."

Draco nodded, and Theo flashed him a weak smile. "Take care then mate."

"Same." Draco murmured before heading from the bar up the steps to rooms that lay on the next floor.

He still had one more meeting for today and then he'd return to the suffocating prison that was his new home.

It was awful. Tense and riddled with latent anger that was in no way subtle. It wasn't as though he could blame it on some specific event. No, it was the entire atmosphere just waiting to be lit aflame and consume them all. It's why he avoided the trio whenever he could. Yet, he couldn't escape them. Their mark was everywhere. The extra brooms, the plates in the sink, the way the books had been taken and re-shelved in the library. No. there was no way he could completely erase their existence.

Wasn't it enough that his entire life had been shaped by Potter and his continued existence? And Weasley… Well, he may not give a single fuck if people like Granger bled purple, but the Weasleys were traitors to him and it was driving him mad how Sirius wouldn't acknowledge it.

How he could let the red-headed weasel into his house, knowing what his family had done to Lena was beyond him. But then Sirius hadn't been there to watch her burn. He hadn't been there when she'd died.

He closed his eyes, resting his head on the door of the room he'd rented for the day.

Then there was Granger, and really, he had no issues with the girl. He respected her intelligence even if her attitude made her more than a little overbearing. Truly, her only faults lay in the company she kept and her great ignorance on many things in their world. The later he couldn't hold against her.

He thought about their impromptu meeting by the tapestry. She was curious about him. He could tell, but that in and of itself was a dangerous thing. He didn't have time to indulge her interests, no matter how fascinating her reactions were.

He ignored the throbbing pain in his forearm before he pressed the door open, and promptly shut it behind him.

No. he didn't have much time at all.

* * *

He wasn't shocked that the room was already occupied. His meeting with Theo had been meant to be short. Though his visitor hardly seemed annoyed at his near tardiness.

Then again Snape had always been more than a little indulgent with him.

His godfather racked his eyes over him, and like Theo, he could tell he was looking for signs of _that_ night. When Snape's appraisal was complete, he met him eye to eye.

"I can't imagine your father would be pleased knowing you're here."

Without even stopping to think, he answered.

"Which one?"

If he hadn't known to look for it, he would have missed Snape's thin smirk and slight gleam in his eyes that clued him in on his amusement at Draco's antics.

"Both I imagine." Snape replied.

Draco shrugged, showing his opinion on that matter before dropping to sit on one of the free chairs in the room.

"I think I've figured out how to destroy them." He said folding his arms and leaning into the chair.

Snape raised a brow and motioned for him to continue.

"It has to do with intent. The magic can sense your desire to destroy it so it retaliates. You need something that destroys simply for the sake of destruction." he took a breath, "I need the sword."

Again Snape's brow rose. "Oh?" he said.

It wasn't meant to be demeaning. He knew his godfather well enough to know that he required a logic behind the request before he complied.

"The diary was stabbed by a Basilisk fang, and basilisk venom kills regardless of identity or intent. By all accounts the sword was used to slay the snake, and being goblin made it adapted the power of the venom." He let out another breath, "So it's either the sword or fiendfyre, and you know how I feel about fire. Even if I can control it."

Snape gave him a long look before letting out a breath. "I don't have the sword."

"But you can get it." He rose from his seat, "They're making you Headmaster, aren't they?"

Snape nodded. "But I'll be watched. They're not sending me in alone."

"Who?" His eyes narrowed.

A look of disgust marred Snape's features as he replied, "The Carrows."

"Fuck" he muttered closing his eyes, "I can have supplies put in the Shack and... tell the others." He muttered to himself, drawing up rudimentary plans before he blinked to look at Snape.

"A distraction maybe and if needed you could pass it to Zabini or Nott. They can get it to me."

Before Snape could speak, he continued, "And if not I'll go in and get it myself. You know I'm quite capable." He said.

He would have said more if he wasn't overwhelmed by another shot of pain that had his body begging to tremble from the force of it.

He blinked away the blurriness as he forced himself to remain upright. Based on Snape's inquisitive gaze, he wasn't doing too well a job.

Snape nodded, still eyeing him wearily. "I'll see what I can manage."

Draco inclined his head in understanding before he fell back into his chair.

"Is there anything else you need?" Snape asked.

"The usual potions and supplies, and…" He cleared his throat, "and that potion for my lungs."

Snape gave him a sharp look.

He let out a tired sigh. "The muggle medicine Remus got me is well and good, but it's not as effective or as potent. If it's too much trouble, the ingredients will be enough. Brewing might be a good thing to take up in my spare time."

Snape let out a long sigh before nodding again, and he was struck by how much his godfather had seemed to age in the short months he hadn't seen him.

"I'll have it sent to you as soon as possible."

Before he could voice his thanks, Snape had turned and with a bellow of his robes he disappeared from the room.

He shook his head in astonishment before he lent back into the chair. He didn't feel quite safe apparating yet. So he closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness and pain to pass.

* * *

"What do you mean he left hours ago?" Sirius all but shouted at the house elf before him.

Hermione winced, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Remus do the same. It had been a good 5 hours since anyone in the house had seen Draco, and in familiar fashion Sirius had all but lost it.

It was awful that her understanding for his hysteria came from their earlier snooping. If all those potions were for treating side effects from a prolonged Cruciatus, then it explained Sirius's near meltdown. It vastly exceeded a normal parent's response to their missing child.

Though Draco was no child that she knew for certain. He seemed well equipped to handle himself.

Though that didn't seem to pacify Sirius.

Kreacher was blankly staring up at Sirius with a near bored expression on his face.

"Master Draco asked Kreacher to takes him. And he asked Kreacher to make dinner for Master Sirius and his guests." Kreacher said spitting the last words as he glared at each of them in turn.

"Where did you take him?" Sirius said, his temper boiling, "Answer me."

"Kreacher serves the head of the house of Black. Master Draco be the head." Kreacher said stubbornly, avoiding answering Sirius's demand.

Draco was the head.

That was a very interesting thought.

It was possible, she supposed. Narcissa would have had to initiate him into the position, but that could easily be done. It was actually a clever move, granting Draco full access to the resources of his house, and the ability to force secrets to be kept.

It made Hermione curious about what other moves he'd made.

"Kreacher, could you at least tell us when Draco will be back?" She asked then, shooting Remus a look to watch Sirius.

"He says by dinner." Kreacher said without a hint of venom in his voice, but a clear look of disdain on his face.

"I swear I'm setting up Anti-Apparation wards the moment he gets back." Sirius growled.

Remus shook his head, taking Sirius by the arm out of the kitchen and towards the Floo room, muttering placation's, and how he couldn't reasonably trap his of age child within the house.

She let out a breath and stared at the other two occupants. Harry's brows were furrowed in concentration. Ron simply looked annoyed.

"Even when he's not fucking here, he kicks up a fuss." Ron muttered before turning to look between them, "Where do you reckon he's gone?"

Harry grunted before turning to both of them. "I don't fucking care, but if he's not back soon Sirius is going to have an aneurysm."

She let out a breath before standing and flicking the fire under the kettle to life. She needed something to do to occupy her time, and tea seemed a good task as any.

She poured cups for both Harry and Ron, though she remained standing, sipping her tea while leaning on a counter.

She was curious though. Where did Draco go? For someone meant to be dead, he was more active than most of the living.

It was hard to say how long they stayed within the kitchen, but it must have been an hour at least before a soft crack signaled an apparation.

A moment later, the door to the kitchen opened and Draco walked in. He paused, slightly shocked to see them congregated around him before he shrugged it off and began looking through the kitchen in search of something.

She frowned and at her periphery she noticed Harry doing the same.

In the end, it was Ron who asked the question they were all thinking.

"Where were you ferret?"

Draco turned and apple in hand and a glass of water in the other.

His brow rose. "What, worried about me weasel?"

"No, but Sirius was." Harry interjected.

At that, Draco frowned, putting his acquisitions on the counter behind him before folding his arms.

"Was he? I wasn't even gone that long."

Harry was seething at Draco's nonchalant attitude. She moved closer, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. If the past taught her anything, these two could and would go at it if provoked.

"Do you even care?" Harry ground out between clenched teeth.

"Think you could do better Potter." Draco sneered, "Would you rather be his son? Try it out and tell me how it fucking feels."

Harry blinked in surprise, and would have retaliated if Draco didn't continue on; intent on fully expressing his anger.

"Bloody fuck don't you ever get tired of waving around your flag of self righteousness. Aren't you fucking tired of taking things from others; their time, their sanity, their lives."

Harry paled, but Draco seemed no where near done. He'd opened his mouth to continue when the door swung open again, and Remus and Sirius tumbled in.

At once the shouting seemed to resume. Sirius had defaulted to anger and disappointment to express his worry and displeasure at his son's disappearance.

The entire time, her gaze stayed on Draco, who seemed torn in how to respond. Yet, when Sirius implied he hadn't a care for his safety or for any of them, something seemed to snap in Draco.

"You have no right. No fucking right to accuse me of any of that. You know why I'm here, and I am committed -"

"- I don't know anything. I'm trying to understand. I am, and I've been more than patient with your ridiculous need for privacy."

"I'm of age -"

"Just talk to me. Anything. Fucking anything. Tell me about the silencing charms on your room every night, and these dangerous excursions you seem intent on having. Communicate with me. I don't understand what's so hard about that."

Draco froze, and all the occupants in the room shifted at the change in the atmosphere. She could feel the air physically thickening. It was hot and heavy like the sky before a storm.

Draco's face had gone blank, but his fists were balled so tight they left his knuckles white.

"I had one father who cared about power and another one who cared about revenge, is it any wonder I'm a bit fucked up?" Draco said.

"It wasn't vengeance." Sirius ground out.

"I don't care. I don't care." Draco shouted, "You left. You left me, and when you had a chance to get away you didn't even come for me. You went to finish the revenge you never got, and even then you didn't even think of me, did you? You went to Potter. My own fucking father went to Potter. Don't pretend to care about me. You've never NEVER did."

Harry had fallen back into his chair at the declaration. Even Ron looked slightly pale at the force behind each of Draco's statements.

"You keep accusing me of having no regard for safety, when you were never there to ensure it for anyone else. You weren't there when the fire started, and you weren't there to see Lena take her last breath. And yet, you still let him," Here Draco pointed at Ron, "into our house when it was his uncles that gave up our location to begin with."

Both Sirius and Draco were trembling now. Sirius from the pain and sadness so clear in every fiber in his being, and Draco for his absolute fury.

His breath was coming in short gasps, each laced with a wheeze.

"Draco…" Sirius began right as the other began to cough.

Draco staggered, clutching his left arm to his chest with his right. After a moment, he seemed to catch his breath, and he lifted his head to glare at each of them in turn.

"Forgive me if I keep my secrets instead of trusting them to the father who abandoned me, three ignorant and ill-prepared children who have been manipulated for years by one senile and meddlesome man, and a bunch of members of an organization who have proven over and over that they will betray their own." Draco said, pushing passed Sirius, who seemed to have gone into a mild shock at the vehemence in which Draco had argued with him.

She couldn't blame him. She was just as stunned. She'd never ever seen Draco pour out such intense emotions. In fact, she'd never really thought him capable of such strong feelings.

No.

That was a lie. She'd seen it. Buried and desperately hidden within his eyes, but never vocalized. This was the first time she'd ever borne witness to it, and it had shaken her somewhere deep inside.

These were the ravings of an incredibly complex person. Someone deep. Someone nearly broken.

It left her confused and slightly awed. It was like she'd learned more about Draco in this one day than she had in the near 2 months she'd been at Grimmauld Place or the near 7 years she'd known him at Hogwarts.

She watched Sirius snap into attention and clamber out after Draco, leaving the rest of them unsure what to do.

She heard a crash in the other room and in seconds Sirius was shouting for Remus.

She couldn't explain it, what force propelled her forward toward the sound of Sirius's frantic shouts.

But she did go.

Sirius was crouched on the ground next to a hunched over Draco, who was shaking on his knees, clutching his arm close to his chest and wheezing for breath.

Remus seemed torn between Sirius and Draco, and somehow, instinctively really, she began to move.

She summoned the inhaler from his room that she'd only just discovered that afternoon, and forced it to his mouth and clasped her hand over his lips to ensure the medicine went down properly.

Draco's eyes were wide and panicked, giving her the distinct impression he was no longer aware of his surroundings.

His breathing was steadying, but his arm remained clutched to his side. She pressed her hand to it, and quickly withdrew it. Her fingers were soaked and tinted slightly red from the action.

Draco's eyes glazed over, and his mumbling seemed slightly more coherent than before.

"It hurts." he whispered hoarsely, "It hurts so much. Why does it hurt Dad?"

Sirius snapped to attention at that and pushed himself close beside her.

"What hurts Draco? Tell me." he whispered gently.

Hermione bit her lip and met Remus's gaze. "His arm is bleeding. We need dittany, bandages, antiseptics." She rattled off, before turning her attention back to Draco.

"Everywhere." Draco muttered, "He told me…"

"Who? Who told you?" Sirius prodded softly.

Draco's eyes seemed to focus on Sirius then, and confusion spread across his face.

" _He,"_ he stressed, "He told me it would be worse if I lived than if I'd died."

Her heart seemed to stop at that, and her expression seemed to be shared by Sirius. Their trance was only broken by the soft moan Draco let out before he went limp in their arms.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for all who have reviewed. I love reading them, and they're a great motivator for me while I write! Reviews literally = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

* * *

 _He could still feel the effects of the last Crucio. His limbs shook like they've never been still before and the hammering in his chest didn't feel normal. If the pain ever did end, he thought it may never beat to a steady rhythm again._

 _He cracked his eyes open, the wand was still trained on him. This was another brief reprieve before the next round. It was a little trick the Dark Lord had learned. Kept his victims sane, but no less tortured._

 _He licked his lips not minding the rust that had long since mixed with his own spit._

 _The snake bent down then, his dark robes clouding the little he was able to make out through his blurry vision._

" _It's a pity that now you show your strength. I'd have thought you'd be raving or dead by now." Voldemort said in manner that was almost teasing._

 _He thought he might be sick._

" _But there's always been more to you Draco Malfoy. Hasn't there?" he mused in a low voice, that surely the other's couldn't here. "You've been hiding from me."_

 _Draco didn't speak. At this point he wasn't sure he could. His throat was too swollen, his tongue too bloody, and his vocal cords too hoarse. He doubted he could manage more than a syllable._

" _It would be better if you die tonight." Voldemort said, moving his wand down from Draco's forehead to his throat. "But in the case that you don't. I have a gift."_

 _The wand dropped even lower to rest on his arm. No. The left forearm. The place he'd have received the mark had he succeeded at that one task._

" _You don't wish for death, not yet," Voldemort said as he felt his flesh burn and tear under the other's wand, "but you will."_

 _For the first time that night, instead of a soft sob or whimper, Draco screamed._

He jolted upright, his head spinning at the motion as he cried out. He panted falling forward to hunch over his body.

He could still feel the searing of his skin from his dream, so much so that he wasn't not surprised at the trembling still present in his hands.

"Draco. Hey. It's alright." He felt firm arms steady his twitching limbs and rub soothingly down from his shoulders to his hands.

He blinked, as his vision seemed to finally focus on the gray blue eyes in front of him.

Before he could stop himself, the word tumbled out of his mouth.

"Dad."

His head dropped to lean on Sirius's.

He could feel Sirius stiffen and relax as he took large breathes in hopes it would steady his racing heart.

As the adrenaline melted away, his wits seemed to finally return to him. He nearly groaned in embarrassment before he jolted away from Sirius.

He made out a faint smile on his father's face as he swept his eyes downward.

He cleared his throat, and winced at the dryness in his mouth.

He was about to speak, when Sirius began.

"Thank Merlin, you finally woke."

His eyes flew up to meet Sirius's.

"How long?" he managed against the tightness of his airways.

"Two days." Sirius said reaching out as though to touch him before he abruptly withdrew and straightened in his seat.

"I didn't mean to cause any worry." Draco said softly, "I… I just…"

"Don't." Sirius interrupted. "Don't apologize."

He stood then and ran a hand through his hair.

It struck Draco then that it looked like Sirius hadn't properly slept in quite a while.

"I asked for it didn't I?" Sirius said, his voice low, "Though when I asked you to talk to me, I imagined a lot less yelling."

Draco steeled his face, hoping his expression was unreadable. Despite his efforts though, he could feel the slight heat in his cheeks from Sirius's bitter tone.

"But if that's how you need to talk to me than by all means shout till your heart's content."

He dropped his gaze to his palms, and for the first time he noticed the bandage peeking out from his left sleeve. Idly, his hand went to fiddle with the gauze.

The bed dipped as Sirius sat on the edge. His hand went to Draco's shoulder, and he squeezed it reassuringly.

"It's fine with me if it means you'll tell me a fraction of what goes on in that mind of yours. Just…" Draco looked up and met his father's gaze again, "Don't send yourself into a fit doing so." He finished with a slight quirk up of his lips.

Draco nodded slightly in acknowledgement not trusting his voice.

"I know it's worthless now, but I am so terribly and completely sorry. I…" Sirius took a breath, "I was impulsive and reckless. I should have realized when I had you that I couldn't afford to be that way anymore."

"I." Draco cleared his throat, "I know you are, but it doesn't make-"

"it hurt any less." Sirius finished, "I know."

He let out a long sigh that seemed to age him ten years. "Get some rest Draco." He stood, "You worried us all for a moment there."

Draco wanted to protest, but under Sirius's mask of ease and comfort, he made out the intense pain and fear underlying it all, he found his own arguments quickly fell away under it.

Sirius shot him another tight smile before he surprisingly reached out and combed through Draco's messed tresses.

"I'll send up something for you to eat. I imagine you're starved."

He stood and in moments Draco was left alone in his room.

He let out out a breath, coughing slightly at the rough displacement of air. He relaxed against the headboard of the bed before he pushed up his left sleeve and examined the bandage properly.

He wondered if they'd realized what it was.

* * *

Hermione let out a breath as she started up the steps toward the solitary bedroom on the second floor. It had to have been a momentary lapse of judgement that had led her to volunteer to take Draco up food and water after Sirius had announced he was finally awake.

It had been so tense since the … event. Draco going limp in her arms was not a sensation that she wanted to experience again. One moment, he'd been trembling, hot, alive, and the next it was as though all the warmth in his body had fled taking with it every sign of life but the rhythm of his heart.

She shivered, recalling it.

Then there was what he'd said before he'd collapsed. That had been the true terror, the implication of it was evidence that all her fears on what exactly might occur during this war were justified. They were a reality.

It was those words that had likely led to the odd assortment of people that had taken up vigil in the house. Oddest, and perhaps more surprising, was the presence of Severus Snape.

She still wasn't exactly clear on why Sirius had sent for him and allowed him into the house. Harry had all but erupted when he'd walked into the kitchen to see their former Professor having tea, of all things, with his godfather. Needless to say, words were vehemently exchanged. Yet, Sirius had never faltered. He trusted Snape for some reason, enough that he'd called him here in order to aid them in helping Draco. It was something that couldn't be taken lightly or dismissed.

Harry knew it. Ron knew it. She knew it too.

Though it drove her mad not knowing the story behind all of it. All they'd gotten was a brief revelation that Dumbledore had ordered his own assassination and that he'd likely have still been dead now had Snape not done the deed.

A cursed limb. Such a horrifying ailment.

It was a slight appeasement, but it did not lessen the pain of the act or the hole that had been left by her Headmaster's death.

She may not have been as close to him as Harry, but she had respected him even if she didn't always agree with his actions. He spoke too often in riddles for her taste, even beyond the grave.

She remembered Snape's expression as he spoke. One that had carried much of the same emotions she felt toward the Headmaster. Begrudging respect but still exasperation.

He was a curious individual, her professor, full of surprising revelations. He'd come with an armful of supplies and had been distressed and slightly surprised to hear about the wound on Draco's arm.

They'd gone into Draco's room again and pointed out several of their previous findings as well as discovered new ones. A supply of salves and creams that none of them seemed able to identify.

It was obvious that he'd been using it on his wound, but where he'd gotten it was a mystery. Snape had thought, and quite vocally defended it, that Draco had made it himself.

Sirius and Remus had been doubtful, and it was again Snape's insistence that it was probably the truth that they seemed to somewhat accept it.

' _Your son.' Snape had said eyeing Sirius, 'is remarkably talented. If it hadn't been for the age restrictions and the need to keep up appearances, I'd have taken him on as an apprentice for a mastery ages ago. I wouldn't doubt that Draco is capable of creating such a thing. I'd be worried about why.'_

That seemed to be the echoing question. Why and how.

She stopped before his door, and took another breath before she knocked and opened it slightly, carefully peering inside.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it was not the sight of Draco's bare back hunched over as he buttoned his dark jeans.

He whirled around at her entrance, staring at her in shock.

She cast her eyes to ground, still too caught up in the moment to fully vocalize her apology at the intrusion.

The sight was stuck in her head.

His back was toned. He'd always been so thin that she'd assumed that he was gangly. He couldn't be farther from that. What he had had been toned and sculpted, firm and terrifyingly beautiful. Though that wasn't what had struck her. It was the presence of the numerous thin scars along his back, white and fading along his skin. Oddly though, they weren't ugly, despite their jagged nature. They were like art, hard to tear your eyes from and full of frightening implications.

He scrambled for his thin shirt that had been discarded on the bed. He immediately grabbed it and slipped into the gray henley. She'd barely registered the fact that he was wearing muggle clothes when the exposure of his front afforded her a glimpse of more scars. These, she knew the source of. Harry. Harry and his curse.

Draco let out a breath, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame the strands that had been messed by his hasty dressing.

He eyed her wearily, starting with her face and then dropping to the items in her hand.

"I must still be under the influence of potions if I didn't hear you come in." he said finally, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"I knocked." She said, wincing at how pitiful an explanation it was.

He nodded once before he accepted the glass of water in her hand, downing it quickly.

"So he sent you up."

It wasn't a question exactly, and it was even more surprising that he hadn't voiced it with any disdain for her by it.

"Well I think his options were me or Tonks, but she seemed really involved in the debate they were all having downstairs."

He perked up at that.

"They?"

She grimaced. She hadn't meant to imply that there was an unofficial council downstairs debating what to do next.

"Who's here?" he ground out.

She steeled her face and stood taller, not wanting to show that she was even the slightest bit intimidated at his glare.

"Harry, Ron, Sirius," She paused, "Remus and Tonks."

His brow rose, as his features morphed into a look of doubt. "And?" he prompted.

She ground her teeth, not wanting to simply reveal the information when he was so desperate to have it. It was obvious from his expression that he held suspicions, and his reaction was puzzling.

She was just thinking it, when she felt the oddest sensation that left her confused and full of the desire to speak.

"Professor Snape." She heard herself declare.

Draco flashed a slight look of triumph, and she realized with horror that he'd slipped into her mind and coaxed the answer out of her.

Yet, through her horror at his violation, she was secretly impressed. Mind Arts were delicate and required years of mastery. She hadn't even felt the intrusion on her own.

She'd have to look into books on Occlumency. Draco had slipped to easily into her mind. She hardly wanted to leave anyone else the opportunity to do the same.

"Fuck." Draco muttered, tearing her away from her musings.

He stood up again, shoving his feet into shoes that had been neatly placed beside the foot of his bed.

He looked at her then.

"What have they given me today?"

She frowned, but easily catching his meaning. "A fever reducer, you've been running one on and off for the past two days, muscle relaxants, antibiotics because of…" She trailed off unbidden her eyes had dropped to his arm.

He shifted under her gaze slightly, though his face showed no indication he was uncomfortable by her staring.

She shook her head.

"And dreamless sleep."

He frowned then.

"Dreamless?" He asked.

She nodded, feeling her cheeks flush as she looked away from his steely gaze. "There were times while you were out that you would...shout. Since we figured it was dreams, we thought…" She trailed off, not wanting to continue her sentence. It hadn't just been shouts. For moments, he'd been screaming.

He looked troubled, after a moment his face had gone blank again. "But no pain." he muttered, more to himself than her. He took the plate still in her hands, and took a few bites from the plain toast before he dropped to his knees and searched beneath his bed for something. After a moment, he came up with a small flask and took a long swing from it.

Her nose caught whiff of the smell, and she immediately scowled.

"Firewhiskey."

He shrugged his shoulders before stowing the flask back in its place. In a single motion, he rose gracefully back to his feet and strode passed her.

"Where are you going?" She grabbed his arm before he reached the door.

He stiffened at her touch, and his eyes fell to where her hand was still clutching his bicep. His brow rose, and she dropped her hand as though he'd burned her.

"To join them." he said simply before leaving the room and heading down the steps.

She scrambled out to join him, but he was much faster than her in his catlike descent. She didn't meet up with him until the door to the kitchen.

He'd paused, listening carefully at the murmur of conversations. For some reason, she felt the need to remain quiet as well. Instead of questioning her actions, she turned her ear to catch the words that were floating out from the closed room.

"A curse." She heard Tonks say, "It didn't respond to dittany."

"A lot of wounds don't respond to dittany." Remus replied.

Someone snorted, and muttered something that couldn't be made out.

"Yes, but." Tonks spoke, "but it feels that way. When I went to change the bandages it felt draining somehow."

She stole a glance at Draco, who looked pale at Tonks's words.

"You do realize that the greatest source of information would be Draco himself."

She shivered at Snape's cool drawl.

"No." Sirius exclaimed then, "I left him to rest. It's obvious he needs it, and I won't allow you lot to poke and prod him before he seems well enough. It's not just about the wound. That fit he had was one of the worst I've ever seen."

"I think you're underestimating the strength as well as the stealth your son possesses." Snape drawled.

She made out Draco's thin smirk at that before it fell from his face as he pushed to door to the kitchen open.

She followed, silently cursing Draco's dramatic tendencies. He'd timed his entrance to make a scene. Of that, there was no doubt in her mind.

He strode confidently into the kitchen, hands in his pockets as he came to a stop to lean against the one free counter in the kitchen.

He smirked slightly at the others' obvious shock.

"Good Morning." He said, his voice low but steady.

Sirius was the first to recover as he crossed his arms and looked sternly at Draco. "I told you to rest."

Draco shrugged. "Answering questions isn't strenuous. Besides, there are more important things to take care of." Draco's gaze drifted to Snape, who was looking at him intently.

She watched carefully, seeing a flash of annoyance in Snape's eyes as well as obvious mirth in Draco's.

"Your health is a priority." Sirius ground out.

Draco turned back to his father, and he folded his arms tight against his chest.

She thought he looked much too defensive as well as a little embarrassed at the attention Sirius was giving him. She caught the slightest bit of confusion that always seemed to present itself in Draco whenever his father expressed his concern over him.

She wondered why it was so shocking to him; if it was that someone would worry so much over his well being, or if it was just that Sirius worried over his well being.

Her eyes drifted to Harry, who was seated with Ron at the corner of the table. The three of them had kept mostly silent and to themselves over the past few days, but their curiosity had not allowed them to leave the vigil the adults had set up within the kitchen. Now, they still stood silent, only there was more interest in Harry's gaze then there had been before.

She'd seen his concern for Draco. Something that she'd thought was slightly amusing given their history and had even teased him in private over.

 _He's kind of like your brother now, what with Sirius being your godfather._

Harry had scoffed at that, but otherwise said nothing. Not even a protest to deny his feelings. Though, she knew that it was more because there was no way he could deny them. The first time they'd woken to that blood curling scream had been enough for their petty rivalries to simply evaporate.

Things like war and damage tended to do that.

"You're worse than Mum." Draco muttered before clearing his throat, "It's fine." He spoke louder, "Not the first time I've overdone it."

"I was there Draco," They all turned in surprise at Remus, who didn't seem at all bothered by the attention he'd called to himself by speaking, "that didn't look like just overdoing it."

Draco fidgeted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Some things just make it worse, alright. Stress, allergies, the weather, if I'm coming down with something; it's not new for me. I know how to deal with whatever's making me feel sick." he said softly.

It all seemed incredibly difficult for him to admit.

Remus looked at him for a moment before he nodded slightly.

Draco seemed to visibly relax, as he straightened. "Like I said, there are other things that we have to focus on." He said rummaging in one of his pockets.

Before Sirius could again voice his disagreement, Draco had pulled a small drawstring pouch from his pocket. He stepped toward the kitchen table before he dropped the contents of the bag on the table.

She gasped at the sight, and somewhere in her daze she heard Ron and Harry do the same. The only other person who seemingly recognized the importance of the object on the table was Snape.

"You already have it." Snape ground out, looking positively furious just as Harry spoke for the first time.

"Where did you get that?"

Draco ignored Snape for a moment and focused on Harry. He studied the other intently before he nodded once. "Good, you know what it is then."

Hermione's eyes drifted toward the solitary locket laying in the middle of the kitchen table.

Slytherin's locket.

Draco turned from Harry back to Snape.

"I told you I was capable." He deadpanned, before shuddering slightly, "And for the record Umbridge is both a despicable and stupid human being as well as a pervert."

Images passed through her mind at that and she couldn't help the low giggle that fell from her lips.

Draco's eyes shot to her, and she caught the slight smile on his lips at her reaction.

"As great as it is to hear a joke around here." Tonks began, "I'm still not sure what we're looking at. All I see is an ugly locket." She turned to lean forward as though to touch it.

"Don't." Both Draco and Snape exclaimed at the same time.

Tonks jerked her hand back, confused at the two's outburst.

Hermione chewed her lip, stealing a glance at Harry and Ron. Their plan had been to involve as few people as possible on the hunt for these objects. Dumbledore had implied the need for secrecy, and at the time they'd formed their plans, they hadn't been sure if they could trust the rest of the Order. Especially considering Snape's apparent betrayal.

Now though, Draco had forced their hand. It meant he trusted all of them here to keep the secret, and frankly she could relate to the sentiment. She did trust, to varying degrees, everyone seated at this table. Part of her though was reluctant to trust more than them.

Her mind was turning, considering the options. Keeping the Order somewhat informed allowed them more resources than if they went on the run; though that may still end up being an option.

Her eyes drifted to Draco, who seemed to be watching her just as intently.

He'd gotten one Horcrux on his own. How, she didn't know, but she recognized a valuable ally when she saw one. Remus had told her before not to doubt Draco's loyalties or his abilities and knowledge for how to defeat Voldemort. This was proof of that, and they'd all be fools to dismiss it.

He was waiting for her, she realized. She stole a glance toward Harry, whose brows had been furrowed as he also analyzed the situation.

He cleared his throat.

"What we say here doesn't leave this room." Harry finally said, looking around to each of them.

When everyone had voiced their assent, Harry once again met her gaze, signaling her that she could explain.

She took a deep breath.

"It's called a horcrux."


	6. Chapter 6

a/n: Thank you for everyone who reviewed. Please keep them coming! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the developing plot lines.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

He watched as each of their faces contorted in obvious horror as Hermione continued to explain the idea of Horcruxes as well as the abbreviated version of how Voldemort had made them. When she'd come to part of Dumbledore entrusting them with the task, he couldn't suppress his snort of amusement.

He was sure Potter would have murdered him at his nonchalance, but the action was covered up by the absolute explosion that Tonks, Remus, and Sirius had when it became apparent that the Trio had planned to go and search for these Horcruxes on their own.

 _And Sirius had called him reckless._

He rolled his eyes. At least he planned and used all the resources he had available.

When she'd finished speaking, silence had settled across their group until Remus had cleared his throat.

"How do you destroy them?"

Here she'd hesitated before answering, "I have a few theories…"

"The Sword." He interrupted. She turned sharply to look at him before nodding.

He sighed turning to the others, "The Sword of Gryffindor or, I suspect, fiendfyre would do the trick." He paused, "But I don't suggest we try that unless it's a last resort."

He winced then as he felt his arm twist in pain. Involuntarily, his hand went to massage it through the bandages; an action that was not lost on everyone else there.

"But the Sword's still at Hogwarts." Ron muttered mournfully.

Draco turned to his godfather, watching him for his reaction.

"Not for much longer I suspect." Snape said, looking at Draco.

Draco's brow rose. "They're already moving it?"

Snape nodded in response, folding his arms and leaning back in his seat. "To Bellatrix's vault."

He hummed thoughtfully, already thinking of plans to replicate and replace the sword when Hermione spoke.

"He would trust her with it?"

Snape looked at Hermione with a sneer on his face. "He's trusted her with far more important tasks. Her disgusting devotion endears her to him. He has faith she will never betray him."

Draco was about to add on to Snape's observations when a thought struck him cold. Could it really be that simple?

He blinked as he felt the other's settle on him, and he realized he'd spoken his last thought outloud.

He stumbled back to lean against a counter.

It had been right there in front of his face. Why it was a precedent. The bastard had left the diary with Lucius after all, and Bellatrix now far outranked him. It would make complete sense he'd entrust another horcrux to a member of the inner circle.

"She has it too." He murmured to himself.

Fuck.

If he'd known earlier, he could have gone into the vault and retrieved it himself. Now, as he was assumed dead, there was no way he could do it so simply.

He took a breath and snapped his attention back to Snape. He had to focus on one thing at a time for now.

"We have to get the sword before it get's moved to the vault." _and get's locked away with the other horcrux._

"As I'm assuming then, you haven't gotten it yet." He continued.

Snape's brow rose and he was struck with the familiar feeling he got when he'd been scolded by the man during his childhood.

"Two days from when you asked for it is hardly enough time to have a replica made to make the switch. Even I cannot perform such miracles."

Draco winced at Snape's casual mention of their meeting, and he could feel Sirius's stern glare. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to look at his father.

"I knew you your comings and goings were dangerous in and of themselves, but I didn't think you were purposefully seeking danger out." Sirius said sternly, "You've been meeting with Snape. I swear to Merlin anti-appara-"

"Galleons." Draco interrupted before Sirius's rant could continue. "Galleons would speed it up."

"I hate to break it to you Malfoy or Black or whatever." Weasley began, "But you can't exactly use your family vaults if you're assumed dead."

Draco rolled his eyes and dug in his pockets for one of many Gringotts keys that he possessed. He straightened and handed it off to Snape.

"Vault 680. My emergency stash." he said meeting his godfather's gaze. He saw a faint flash of amusement in his Snape's eyes.

"No name attached to the vault. The key should be enough to get in."

At that Snape looked impressed.

He smirked, but it fell off his face as he was hit with another shot of pain that began in his arm and spread all the way down to the soles of his feet. It left him cold and shaking.

He ground his teeth, and blinked a few times before his vision focused. By that time, the conversation had seemed to shift as everyone offered their opinions on how involved the Order should be informed. For once, he found himself agreeing with Harry bloody Potter on limiting their knowledge.

When he had voiced his own opinion, he retreated back to his spot leaning against the counter. He toned out the rest of the conversation. The pain had subsided leaving him tired and slightly nauseous. Yet, he knew the minute he implied he felt anything other than healthy Sirius would drag him out and put him to bed.

It brought a slight smile to his lips as he imagined it.

Narcissa had been the same way. Of course it had been when he was a child, and being 7 was not the same as being 17.

He sighed before he straightened, feeling a pair of eyes on him. Casually, he let his gaze go around the room before he noticed his cousin staring at him intently. She hadn't spoken much during the meeting, which he now realized was quite odd. Nymphadora Tonks or really Nymphadora Lupin now, was hardly ever silent.

He frowned slightly as he looked out the corner of his eye, feeling another pair of eyes settle on him.

He was a little surprised to see it was Granger watching him.

He was a confusing her, he was sure. His actions had intrigued her and would no doubt color her interactions with him. Oddly though, he wasn't as annoyed as he should have been at her antics.

She was just as intriguing.

He let out a sigh of relief when he heard them settle on a time for an Order meeting and that Snape's involvement would remain a secret for now.

He was about to make a move to leave when he felt a soft brush against his Occlumency shields. His eyes narrowed slightly as he discreetly shot a look to his godfather who only responded by slightly tilting his chin toward the Floo room.

Draco could take a hint. He slipped away and settled down on one of the chairs near the fireplace and a minute later he felt Snape join him.

He lent back in his chair as Snape stood before him. He found he didn't have it in him to stand at the moment, and Snape wasn't one to be offended at his displacement of formality. Snape regarded him for a moment.

"Lucius has been asking about your things, particularly those you might have left at Hogwarts."

Draco blinked, unsure what to say. His feelings on Lucius were confusing at best. The man had been his father, and despite his harsh exterior, unrealistic expectations, and sometimes cruel punishments, there were times that were undeniably pleasant.

Though with the Dark Lord's return and Lucius's arrest, the man he'd once known had seemed to disappear and become a shell of who he once was. He'd left him and Narcissa to the wolves, and he wasn't sure he would ever forgive him for that.

"Why?" Draco finally said.

Snape looked away thoughtfully, "Mementos I suppose. He did seem rather grieved over your apparent death, for him that is. He clings to Narcissa like a lifeline now."

Draco grimaced. "I want her out of there."

Snape nodded. "Though I agree, I doubt it will be as easy to extract her in the manner in which you were. Just as Lucius clings to her, she does the same for him. Separating them may not be an option."

Draco looked thoughtfully down at his palms. "If the time arises that they both can be taken out, then…" he swallowed roughly, "Perhaps they could go to France. We have property there that is warded and unknown to any but us."

It wasn't ideal, but he'd rather have Narcissa safe no matter if she was with him or not.

Snape said nothing, and for a moment Draco was sure he'd left in the time that he'd spent simply looking down at his hand still drawn into a tight fist.

"Are you quite alright?" Snape finally said.

Draco bit his tongue, allowing himself time to think before he responded.

"As well as I can be." he answered diplomatically.

Snape shot him a look, and he let out a breath.

"It pains me sometimes, nothing I can't handle. Mostly, it just make me tired now."

Snape nodded once.

"It happened that night, didn't it?"

It was meant to be a question, but it really came out to be a statement. Draco dipped his chin in response.

"It didn't really look like this until a month ago." he said staring down at the bandage peeking out from his sleeve.

He heard Snape's sharp intake of breath as well as his soft words that he would be looking into it. As he tilted his head to meet Snape's gaze to say goodbye, he was surprised to see the other reach out and palm his forehead.

"You're running a fever again."

He nodded slightly, having somewhat figured that that was the case based on the slight chills he seemed to be having.

Snape dropped his hand. "Take the fever reducer and go back to bed."

When he offered a curt nod in reply, Snape smirked slightly in a manner that was almost fondly before he turned with a flare of his robes to disappear within the green flames of the Floor.

Draco let out a breath, which turned into a light cough before he stood in a single motion and headed up the steps to his room.

* * *

He'd deflected attention off him during the meeting, but that didn't mean they'd forgotten about the wound on his arm. Snape certainly hadn't.

He wondered how long it would be before Sirius came knocking at his room with a fresh round of questions about it.

He shook his head, pushing open the door to his room.

He knew Sirius meant well, but the thought of finally coming completely clean to him and getting close terrified him. He didn't trust easy to begin with. He had not precedent for it, and to trust and let Sirius in now when he had no idea if he'd live to even see the end of this conflict was enough to give him pause.

The child in him though, the one who'd foolishly ached for the missing presence in his life even before he knew him, wanted it with a fervor.

He rubbed his temples as he pushed such thoughts out his head. He was too tired to contemplate such life altering problems.

He stepped into his bedroom and his brow rose at the sight of the pink haired individual by his bedside. He shook his head and proceeded to kick off his shoes before falling onto the bed.

Tonks gave him a soft smile before handing a potion vial to him.

"Figured you'd need that." She said, leaning back into the chair she'd dragged up right to his bedside.

He regarded the vial. Based on the color, it looked like a fever and pain reducer. He uncorked it and downed the contents quickly murmuring a soft thanks before handing it back to her.

"How bad is it?" She asked, "The pain."

He turned to his side propping his elbow up to hold his head. He raised a brow in question.

"Auror." Tonks said waving off his silent question.

"Not for the next while at least." Draco said looking pointedly at her stomach.

Her eyes widened in shock as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "How did you guess?" she asked quietly.

"You didn't say anything the entire time. You didn't volunteer for any missions or interject. It didn't seem right. Didn't seem like you." Draco said softly, "Then I thought about what newlyweds usually do, and, well, it made sense."

Tonks let out a breath. "Only Remus knows." she murmured running her hands in circles around her middle. She smiled slightly before she caught his gaze again. "But this does mean I'm free to completely focus on that curse you've got curling up your arm."

He winced at her casual mention of it, but didn't deny her claims. Something she seemed to take note of.

He startled when he felt her hand curl around his.

"Repeat after me. We will break the curse."

His brow rose. She tugged at his hand as though to encourage him to comply. A small smile pulled at his lips before he nodded.

"We will break the curse." he whispered.

"Good." Tonks declared, standing swiftly. "Now this time, actually get some rest yeah?"

He murmured his assent and the minute Tonks left his room, he stripped down to his boxers and slipped under the covers.

He closed his eyes, shivering and wincing at the pressure in his head centered on his sinuses. He coughed softly, and fitfully he nodded off.

* * *

Hermione sat in the empty seat that Tonks had left when she'd slipped out moments ago. She went over it all in her mind unsure if the meeting had truly just occurred. Yet, there it was. Slytherin's locket right in front of her.

"I'm not mental am I? I mean did Malfoy help us?" Ron muttered from beside her.

"Black." She corrected automatically, "His name is Black."

Her eyes drifted to Sirius, who seemed to finally realize that Draco had slipped away without giving up even a little bit of information on the wound on his arm. Remus seemed to be reassuring him that Tonks had gone up to check on her cousin and make sure he rested.

Sirius nodded temporarily appeased before he muttered that he was also going to catch up on much needed rest as well.

"I didn't see that coming." Harry muttered, forcing her attention back to her two friends sitting on either side of her.

" s'not even the worst of it. Just wait until the Order's here tomorrow." Ron grimaced, before breaking out into a wicked smile, "Just think, for once the attention is going to be one someone else."

Her brow rose, as she fought to keep her amusement at Ron's antics in check.

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Sirius has to introduce his child to everyone tomorrow. Can you imagine Mal-, bugger I'm going to call him Draco. This is too confusing." Ron said shaking his head.

They looked at one another before laughing. It felt nice to finally release some of their pent up frustrations in a positive action. It loosened the tightness in her chest, and for a moment, she could forget where exactly they were.

They quieted after a moment.

Harry cleared his throat. "You think he knows about the others?"

Hermione let out a sigh. "I don't know Harry." Though she thought about how he'd frozen after Snape had spoken about Bellatrix. He had an idea that she could say for certain.

The weariness settled back in her.

"I don't know Harry." She repeated, "But suddenly I'm just exhausted."

She stood and made her way up the stairs. Blinking, she realized she'd stopped right on the second floor landing.

She gazed at his door, and jumped as the door swung open and Tonks stepped out.

She froze, and Tonks gave her a knowing smile before coming to join her on the landing.

"You should leave him to get some sleep now. He's tired and running another fever."

Hermione shook her head, and despite herself, she felt her cheeks begin to warm.

She hadn't even meant to stop here, but her thoughts and questions had distracted her.

"I wasn't...I mean I didn't even think -"

"I'd wait until dinner at least to wake him." Tonks continued, as though Hermione hadn't spoken. With one last knowing smile, the pink haired Auror moved passed her heading back down the steps.

Hermione shook her head and cast one last look at the 5th room from the stairs.

"What are you thinking Draco." She muttered before turning to head up to her room.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am blown away by how much love I'm getting for this story. Particularly Fire Ruby thank you for your long and detailed reviews. I loved reading your interpretations and comments. I loved writing the scene at the Black tapestry, and I felt it was truly a monumental moment for Draco to see what he already knew sown into that tapestry. Also, I'm loving motherly Tonks too!

As always; Reviews, all reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quotes by Huxley from Brave New World

* * *

He slept through the whole day. He really hadn't meant too. He rubbed his face and turned to the side to see the time from the clock he kept by his bedside.

5:30 am

Merlin. He hadn't slept that long straight since he was a child.

He snorted, an action he immediately regretted as it threw him into a light coughing fit. When it ended, he groaned and reached toward out for the little muggle device Remus had taken him to get. He stretched and came up slightly short.

A wandless Accio fixed that.

He held it to his mouth and puffed in the medicine and then sent the thing back.

He sat up, rubbing his temples. His head felt stuffed, and that was a prelude to something he didn't want to deal with, especially now of all times.

Regretfully, he forced himself from the bed and opened his potions drawer and fumbled around for an allergy potion, downing it almost immediately.

He couldn't get sick. Not now.

He glanced about the room, realizing more sleep now was pointless and began rummaging through his drawers for clothes before he slipped into the loo for a much needed shower.

It was a rather relaxing ritual, simply standing under the shower head and letting the scalding hot water beat against his skin, relaxing his tense muscles. It cleared the last remnants of drowsiness from his eyes and allowed his mind to finally jolt awake.

He finished rather quickly and dressed even faster. He hated looking down and seeing the litter of scars that now decorated his skin. He didn't think he'd care so much if he wasn't reminded about each event attached to the marks. They weren't exactly pleasant.

He glanced down at his forearm, having took off the bandages to get his first good look at it in days.

It looked worse.

The cut in the skin had started out small, a faint impression of where Voldemort had dug his wand into his arm. The pain, the feeling of being torn, that had been under the skin. He couldn't say when he'd first noticed the scarring beginning to open, but it must have been around the time his veins begin to darken around it. It started slow, the first month he'd only felt tired and barely noticed the additional decoration he now sported. Near the end of it though, that was when the pain began.

He'd experimented with everything. Every potion, every cream, every healing remedy he'd ever read and a few more he'd looked up. Nothing worked. It's what led him to begin trying his own hand at creating something that helped, if only by numbing the area.

He shook the water clinging to his hair as he reached over for the salve jar and clumped some into his hand before applying it to the wound and redressing it.

He sighed in satisfaction at his work and slipped into a shirt before finally venturing out into the rest of the house.

Grimmauld Place was an interesting home. He'd realized that pretty quickly the minute he'd been acquainted with the house. Twists, turns, secret rooms, and an eclectic collection of resources. His first stop was the library, where he turned amongst the shelves until he found the volume he'd been meaning to look into and then headed down to the kitchens.

Being hungry was a nice change, he hadn't had much of an appetite in weeks what with the thought or taste of food leaving him nauseous. Though, he suspected skipping lunch and dinner would do that to anyone.

He had a feeling it was another attachment of this curse on him.

Starve him to death.

Not exactly efficient.

Yet that wasn't exactly the full point of it. More of a side effect really. It was to force a deterioration; body, soul, and...mind.

The last, he feared more than the first.

He'd always had his mind to fall back on, when he was still relatively defenseless with magic, when he was younger, always a tad smaller than he should be for his age until he'd shot up in 5th year... He'd had his brain to plan, to work, to learn. He couldn't lose that.

Even now, he was contemplated a hundred different things at once.

Bellatrix had the cup.

He was more sure of it now that he'd had time to dwell on the idea.

Getting in was going to prove nearly impossible. Even if one could get passed the first few goblins and gain entrance into the vault, getting there would force them through enchantments that stripped them of any disguises they may have.

He balled his fists, dropping them hard on the counter.

If he'd only known beforehand, he could have charmed his way down and used his excuse as the woman's nephew to see her vault. In fact, he doubted he would have even needed a goblin to open it. His 'aunt' favored blood wards, and his blood would have been more than enough.

"Ugh." he groaned dropping his head on the counter.

"Does Master Draco be needing anythings?"

He startled before relaxing at the sight of Kreacher.

"Merlin Kreacher, you've got to stop sneaking up on me."

Kreacher bowed, his head nearly touching the ground. "I's apologize Master Draco" He lifted his head, "But be you needing anything?"

He looked thoughtful, "Yes. I'm actually quite famished. You wouldn't mind helping me sort…"

"Oh yes Master. Kreacher will make breakfast." the elf babbled clearly excited for the task.

It forced a thin smile on his face. "Really Kreacher just point me in the direction of…."

"No." Kreacher gasped at the idea that he may want to serve himself. "Kreacher serves the house of Black, and he is honored to serve the true master of the ancient home."

He bit his tongue to hold back his laughter.

"Has Sirius been giving you trouble again Kreacher?"

The elf grumbled something that sounded like, 'Kreacher should not talk of such things.'

He waved it off. "Don't hold back on my account. If you'd like to complain, be my guest."

Kreacher looked up to him with a look of near awe.

Draco laughed at the look. "Oh gods." he managed between bouts of laughter and wheezing, "I'm sure between the two of us, we could manage a list of complaints for everyone in the whole house."

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she took in the near darkness of her room. Groaning she rolled to her side and clasped her wand, a quick spell to check the time on the tip of her tongue.

6:30am.

Christ.

She fell back down on the bed. She'd wanted to sleep longer than 5 hours. She rubbed her eyes.

After Draco had disappeared to go sleep, she'd plunged head first into her research. First, she'd wanted to confirm the theory that she and Draco had seemed to come up with on how to destroy a horcrux. With the information sparse at best, and what little was available seemed to confirm it, she'd gravitated toward other subject materials.

She hadn't even realized she'd begun researching dark curses until the second book. By then, it was easy to guess what for.

Draco.

She hadn't woken him as Tonks had suggested. Sirius had gone to check on him before dinner and found his fever spiked. He'd let him sleep, worried about the slight blemishes the were decorating the skin beneath his eyes and the fever that just didn't seem to break.

She slipped out of the bed, finally accepting that she would not be drifting back into dreams anytime soon.

With a quick spell for her hair, she tugged on her jeans and a loose jumper before making her way down the steps toward the kitchen.

Some tea and toast and then she'd return to her books before the Order arrived later today.

"Now I'm only making an observation, not suggesting anything, but cleaning out the Quidditch supplies and rearranging the brooms in the opposite order of how they are now would surely drive my father mental."

She paused a few feet from the door, recognizing Draco's voice.

"Food for thought." he continued.

She cocked her head with interest

There was a long pause before the reply.

"Kreacher was planning to cleans the Quidditch supplies soon."

"That's the spirit." Draco laughed lightly.

"And does Master be having any other _suggestions_ for the guests."

Was Draco conversing and joking with Kreacher? She'd hardly believe it if she weren't hearing it right then and there.

Draco seemed to consider Kreacher's request before she heard him answer.

"I suppose you could pretend we're out of food. It would probably give Weasley heart failure."

She clasped a hand over her mouth to keep in her snort of amusement at Draco's dry wit. He had a surprising sense of humor, even if it was at the expense of her friend.

"And Miss Granger's Master? She not be a natural witch. Such things are not right for the noble house of Black."

She winced at Kreacher's vehement insistence. She'd truly thought she'd broken him of it. She'd been kind, and it had been ages since he'd called her a mudblood to her face. Yet, it seemed despite it all, he still believed her to be a lesser being.

"Ah." Draco mused, "Well, she can't very well help that. She hasn't been unkind has she?"

Kreacher grumbled before replying, "No Master."

"Then I must say Kreacher, I draw the line at Miss Granger. Her only true faults, besides her two bodyguards, are her incredibly nosy nature and utter lack of stealth."

The door to the kitchen opened, and Draco lent on the frame with his arms crossed as he stared down at her.

"Morning Granger."

She blushed sheepishly, but fought to keep her expression blank anyway.

"Draco." she greeted.

He blinked in surprise, faltering slightly on his feet. Seizing the opportunity, she slipped passed him and entered the kitchen.

She was immediately met with a large display of food spread across the kitchen table that from the looks of it Draco had barely made a dent into.

"Here." Draco came up beside her with an empty plate in hand, "I can't possibly eat all of this on my own."

She was about to refuse, when Draco turned away from her and broke down in a harsh coughing fit.

He waved her off from getting closer to help, and stumbled back to lean on a counter, pulling his inhaler with mild frustration.

He hated it. She could tell. Not being able to control his body and it's reactions.

When it ended, he let out a low sigh, sniffling softly.

He avoided her gaze, and she was so incredibly unsure what to do. If it were Harry or Ron, she would comfort them or ask if they needed anything. Draco...Draco was still an unknown. Not an enemy, but an ally. Not a friend...and yet she didn't think him a stranger.

Kreacher broke the awkward silence.

"Master Draco shoulds be resting and taking cares of himself. He must finish eating." Kreacher said sternly.

Draco flashed the old elf a tight smile.

"Kreacher." He began, his voice low and hoarse, "Snape brought over some potions yesterday. Could you tell me where -"

"I will gets the potion Master." Kreacher said disapparating with a pop.

Draco blinked before he shook his head. "Stubborn elf." he muttered lowly.

Hermione let out a breath, deciding on her course of action.

"You alright?"

He startled, seemingly having forgotten she was in the room.

"Fine." he said softly, running his index finger under his nose, "S'just my allergies acting up."

She felt her brow raise of its own accord.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. It sounds more like -"

"Don't." he interrupted quickly, "Don't. If my dad hears, he'll force me on bed rest for another bloody week."

She couldn't help the slight quirk of her lips at Draco acknowledging Sirius as his father. She could tell his attitude toward the other had vastly softened since their rather explosive argument. She knew Sirius craved it, something open and warm between them. Yet, she could also understand Draco and his need for distance.

She shrugged signaling her assent, and Draco relaxed before once more motioning for her to eat.

She reluctantly took a seat at the table, no longer able to ignore the pangs in her stomach signaling a need for food. However, she kept glancing up to look at Draco. She noticed that he was again wearing muggle clothes, dark jeans and a loose black jumper. Her eyes drifted to his feet, and she realized, with a start, he was only wearing socks.

She had never in her entire life seen him so casual. He'd always been a smart dresser when she'd seen him at school, and really, even now, in jeans that looked like they cost more than half her wardrobe and a loose jumper, he still looked like he'd stepped out of a magazine.

Life was truly unfair that way. He made her feel vastly under dressed, even if she was essentially wearing the same thing.

"I don't get you." She said without even pausing to think about the words before she spoke.

His brow rose.

"You're still as much of the sarcastic git you always were, only now you read muggle literature and get involved in fights. Fights that are about more than yourself." She looked away from his gaze, unsure if she would be able to continue if she allowed those penetrating eyes of his to meet hers. "And I always knew you were smart, but you're bloody brilliant." Here she stole a glance at him and found that both his brows had shot up to his hairline. "Were you always like this, complex and…"

Broken. Angry. Calming. Thoughtful.

A masterpiece.

"Ah." He finally said as she trailed off, "That's why you've been acting different towards me."

His face seemed to grow cold as he withdrew into himself, and she thought she must have truly upset him with her words. It hadn't been her intention. Not at all.

"So I've become a puzzle. Something you can't solve. Does it bother you that I don't fit into the perfectly labeled box you've had for me for as long as we've known each other? Does it bother you that I'm not as one dimensional as I led you believe?" he looked like he was caught between wanting to sneer at her or simply regard her with his patented blank expression. "I bet what really bothers you is that I've been putting on a show, and you fell for it just like everyone else."

"That's not what I meant." she said weakly, unsure why she was nearly trembling at his words. They weren't loud, spoken in hot anger. No. They were cold, dipped in cruelty.

"It's all me Granger. Maybe parts were exaggerated, but it is all me." he gave her a knowing look, "and 'I'd rather be me. Myself and nasty. Not somebody else.'"

She took a deep breath. His quotation shaking her more than she thought right for such a simple phrase from a book.

"Maybe so." she conceded, "And maybe I do want to try to understand you, but it's not because it bothers me. What I want to understand is why everything I see doesn't match with the self-deprecated impression you seem to have of who you are."

The coldness seemed to fade into something much more pained; much more lost. It reminded her that Draco was only 17… A man, but not really a man.

"What do you want Granger?" he let out a breath, and she met his gaze unflinching.

"I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin." she whispered, a perfect echo from the quote he'd answered her with.

He recognized it. Of course he would, it was from the same book after all. Though it was more than that, his whole body shifted at her words.

"What do you want Granger?" he asked again, this time without malice or mirth.

It felt so much more loaded now. She wanted to fight and win the war and leave Voldemort as nothing more than a pile of ash and a bad dream. She wanted to keep her friends safe, and that her parents would remain so wherever they were. Her eyes landed on his again.

She wanted to help him.

Yet, it was not at all what he was asking, while simultaneously being exactly what he was asking.

"I want to know you." she repeated, "I...I think we could be friends."

He gave her a sad sort of smile.

"I don't think you really want to be friends with me. You're too intrigued now. It's clouding your judgement." he stood and turned, moving passed her to leave the kitchen.

"No."

She blinked and she'd grabbed Draco by the arm to stop him from moving.

"No." She repeated, "I make my own choices."

He met her gaze, and they stood like that for quite some time. In fact, he was still studying her carefully when the pop sounded signaling Kreacher's return with his potion.

She kept her hand firmly grasping his arm, unwilling to let go until he'd at least spoken his intent.

"Alright Hermione." he said lowly, "Alright for now."

Only then, did she drop her hand.

"Good." she murmured, letting her eyes drift around the room before they settled on a solitary book on the table.

"Let's see what you got, shall we?"

* * *

It was something else to watch Draco up close. They'd eaten breakfast, a few short bites before Kreacher had returned with Draco's potion. He'd downed it quickly before pushing back his seat and declaring that he was going to the library.

It seemed he'd anticipated her want to follow him in efforts to strengthen their so called friendship she'd insisted on.

He seemed deliberate in his casual mention of it.

She had a feeling he'd anticipated her want to follow him or find him later. Perhaps he'd chalked it up to her desire to continue to cultivate this friendship, and part of that was the case. However, she was worried about him. He hid everything. His ideas and revelations that could undoubtedly aid in the hunt as well as relatively basic emotions; happiness, discomfort, unhappiness….pain.

She seen him tremble periodically over breakfast. It made her wonder if it was due to the wound itself or the memories attached to it. Even more was the possibility that the lingering tremors were simply the culmination of all the beatings he'd taken while undercover.

He was keeping quite tight lipped about the entire thing,and it didn't sit right with her. She had a feeling he knew something about the curse on his arm.

 _Like it might be the final thing that kills him._

She let out a breath, trying to erase such thoughts from her mind but they'd sent sharp stabs of pain from her gut all the way to her chest. There was no forgetting it now.

She peeked into the library, and as it tended to do, the sight of the shelves and shelves of books calmed her.

She spotted him in a corner nose firmly in a book. He didn't look up to greet her or acknowledge her presence at all.

She bit her lip to keep from grinning in amusement before she selected a separate corner that was still full of the books she'd been looking through previously.

She traced the covers before sitting down slowly into her seat. Her eyes fell to the book she'd been willed by her headmaster.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

She sighed, flicking through the pages. Why this book? What meaning had he wanted her to gain from it. Nothing about the horcruxes that she knew for sure. It was something else.

"Fairytales Granger?" Draco said lowly coming to sit beside her.

She grinned down at the book in her lap before wiping her face blank and looking up. Draco was looking at her intently a lone eyebrow raised before he dropped his gaze to the book. Wordlessly, she handed it off to him, watching as he flipped through the pages.

He paused at one though, tracing the triangle symbol with his brows furrowed.

"Dumbledore gave it to me." She said when it was clear he wasn't going to speak.

Draco snorted before closing the book. "Well, he always was a crock."

She gasped, and Draco shot her an amused smirk.

"I mean he could have told you what he meant while he was alive, but instead, he leaves you with riddles that don't make any sense to anyone except him." He said with a hint of bitterness.

He placed it on the table beside them before letting his eyes drift to the remaining titles she had pulled.

He seemed calm, more approachable than ever, and really she should take advantage of it. She wanted to pick his mind, figure out how he worked, but she knew there were limits. It would be better to probe safe topics than those he obviously wanted to avoid.

Fleetingly, her eyes went to his left arm with just a hint of white bandage peeking out from beneath his sleeve.

He probably needed to have them changed.

She cleared her throat.

"Do you have any ideas about what…" she took a breath, "What the others could be?"

He looked at her before idly tracing his fingers on the spine of the book in his hand.

"Well, he seems abnormally obsessed with valuable artifacts; especially those that belonged to the Founders."

"I noticed." She nodded, "I figure there's probably something representing each founder."

Draco shook his head. "Not Gryffindor. All those artifacts are well documented and none have ever gone missing."

Interesting so that left Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

"Hufflepuff's only had one real famous artifact, her cup, and it went missing some odd years ago." Draco said.

He sighed then, rubbing his temples with a slightly pained expression. "Which leaves us with Ravenclaw and whatever the last one is."

She smiled slightly at his inclusive vocabulary before she spoke next.

"The snake."

Draco looked up at her.

At his questioning look, she explained how it seemed to have a connection with Voldemort, and by extension Harry. At that, Draco had looked slightly uncomfortable before growing thoughtful as she continued.

"I suppose that makes sense." He mused, "That thing has always had some sort of otherworldly cruelty in it." He grew silent then, seemingly lost in whatever string of memories he had of the creature. She noticed a slight tremor in his hands that he stilled by laying one on his lap and the other to curl around his forearm.

"They'll probably be harder to find," he said absently massaging his arm, "The locket was in plain sight, but the others could be locked up; buried in vaults underground."

She shrugged.

"They could be, but then, we could also speculate that they're at the bottom of the ocean." She bit her lip, "We need to be completely sure before we go; otherwise, we're simply going on a wild goose chase."

He glanced at her puzzled at her turn of phrase before shaking his head.

"Confirmation." he murmured again seemingly lost in his thoughts.

She watched him closely, slightly surprised at how introspective he was. Much more than she'd ever taken him for. But then, all her assumptions had been based on a flamboyant facade, not the truth.

He winced, stilling his hand above his arm as his breath caught in his throat. She could tell he was struggling with truly reacting to whatever flare of pain had come over him. It made her wish he wouldn't do it, hide his reactions and happenings.

He seemed to notice her staring, because he straightened and smoothed his features into a practiced blank expression.

She was just about to throw all her caution out the window and simply ask about the curse, when he spoke again.

"I am sorry you know."

She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

He clenched his teeth. "For...for dragging you into all the bad blood between Potter and I."

All thoughts of his curse left her mind as she sat stunned at his apology. She'd never imagined that they'd ever talk of this.

She swallowed, finding her throat too tight to accommodate the action.

"Did you...Did you ever believe it? The blood purity stuff."

He cast his eyes downward at his hand that he was clenching and unclenching over and over. He nodded after a moment.

"In a way I did." he said softly, "My father, Lucius I mean, raised me with those beliefs. I was skeptical of most of it mind. But...but some of it seemed undeniable the more I learned about...about where I came from." He looked at her then, "After all, a muggle did help make Voldemort."

She stiffened at that. It was an indisputable truth. She bit her tongue at the immediate rebuttals that came to mind, instead, hoping Draco would continue. It was obvious from how they interacted now that his beliefs had changed, and she was curious of why.

"I think most of it just came from anger, and I had that in bucket loads." He dropped his eyes back to his palms, "It was needing and finding something to blame."

She let out a breath.

"What changed?"

"One of my best mates." Draco smiled slightly, "is unbelievably smitten with a half blood. I met her father more times than I can count, but I think it was her grandfather that really got me."

She couldn't help it, but she felt herself softening and smiling along with Draco.

"He gave me books. Tons and tons of muggle books that I devoured almost as soon as he'd handed them over."

Draco shook his head.

"Then there was the fact that my other best mate is completely taken with the idea of bar hopping, muggle or otherwise."

She snorted, and his smile widened momentarily.

"Yeah." he let out a puff of air, "After all of that it was hard to deny what was so obviously in front of my face."

He sniffed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

"Then of course there was you, but then you never fit into the stereotypes people want to assign you."

He gave her no room to reply before he'd stood and made his way to leave.

"Wait Draco."

He half turned, the door handle in his hand.

"Thank you."

He gave her a puzzled look.

"Thank you for talking to me."

He shook his head. "You're odd Granger." He said with just a hint of a smile on his lips.

She smiled in return and watched as he opened and slipped easily back out into the hall.

"I'm not the only one." She murmured to herself

* * *

Hermione had given him a lot to think about. Most importantly, he had to confirm the cup was in the vault before he began making plans on extracting it.

He had to meet with Blaise. Their next one was scheduled for a few days from now, but he would have to move it earlier. He couldn't take the risk that Bellatrix would move the Sword into the vault and then adding to what were no doubt numerous protective enchantments already.

He rubbed again at his pain from the constant pounding beneath his skull coupled with the pressure of his sinuses was becoming nearly too much. There was no denying it now. He was surely coming down with something.

He blamed his addled senses and distraction for his apology to Hermione.

Though, if he allowed himself to admit it, he'd been planning to offer an apology to her. Yet, in his mind, he'd thought it would be much more succinct.

"You're fucking up Draco." he muttered to himself.

He dropped his hands from his temples and rubbed at his sore throat before lacing them to rest on the back of his neck.

"Oh I know that look."

He shook his head and turned toward the source, raising his brow in question.

Sirius shot him a wide grin.

"It's the look that says I may have screwed up, but I'm not sure, and if I did then it's going to be a real disaster."

Draco cracked a thin smile.

"So the story of my life."

Sirius snorted, running a hand through his hair.

"That dry wit, Merlin." He shook his head, "Cissa must have taught you that."

His smile widened at mention of his mother before it fell off abruptly from his face. He worried for her. Despite the reassurances he'd had, he knew first hand how quickly the dynamic could change. It was only too easy to issue and follow through with a threat.

Sirius came forward and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"She's strong, my cousin. A lot stronger than I ever was." Sirius said softly, "She'll be alright Draco. At the first sign of that changing, I will do everything I can to get her out."

Draco cast his eyes forward to hide the unshed tears that were no doubt shining within them.

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

Sirius squeezed his shoulder.

"But I didn't come to talk about that." Sirius said, brushing his hair from his eyes and then palming his forehead.

He heard him mutter about his fluctuating fever with irritation clear in his tone.

"How do you feel?" Sirius asked.

Draco blinked and then shrugged. "Ok."

This time, Sirius's brow rose in an all too familiar manner that it brought a small smile to his lips.

"A little tired." he amended before he added what he thought Sirius truly wanted to know, "I should be fine for tonight though."

Sirius studied him before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I wanted to ask you about that." He began, "Make sure you were comfortable with it."

Draco resisted the urge to frown. Admittedly, he was thrown. His own level of comfort and opinion on such decisions had rarely been taken into account in the past. Not for decisions such as these.

Sirius seemed to catch his confusion because he shot him a reassuring smile.

"I…" Draco cleared his throat, "It's really your decision."

Sirius made a sound of disagreement.

"But," he continued, "I think I'd rather it only be to those you know are truly trustworthy."

Sirius looked thoughtfully at him, his eyes narrowed slightly. Draco resisted the urge to fidget under the scrutiny.

He was reminded, not for the first time, that while his father may have been a Gryffindor, he could have just as easily been sorted into Slytherin had he not been hell bent on being a rebel.

"I think that's reasonable." Sirius finally said.

Draco nodded as he cast his eyes around the hall. He'd been overcome with the sensation that he and his father were no longer alone.

"I think you should probably go rest before then." Sirius continued. For a moment, Draco swore he saw real fear and worry lodged in Sirius's gray blue eyes.

"The eldest Weasley is a curse breaker." Sirius said quietly, "He'll be coming tonight. I'd like for him to look at your arm if you're up to it."

Draco swallowed roughly, biting the inside of his cheek.

When he didn't answer, Sirius seemed to take it as his refusal and quickly began to reassure him.

"I know. I know. Even I'm a bit weary to trust them, especially with something like this." Sirius said, "But his credentials are sound and I do trust in that."

He resisted the urge to retort with something scathing and ridiculing, but he couldn't muster a single sound. Physically, he didn't think he could speak against the swelling of his throat. Even more than that he couldn't bring himself to destroy the glimmer of hope that was in Sirius that had even lit a tiny spark in himself.

"Ok." he whispered.

Sirius sighed in relief. "Good. Good." he said mostly to himself, "Now go rest."

Draco nodded while plastering a weak smile on his face.

Sirius smiled warmly in response before he turned and continued toward the staircase. When his father's dark head could no longer be seen, he let out a shaky breath before leaning against the wall.

He closed his eyes, and focused on the simple action of forcing air into his damaged lungs. After a moment, with his eyes still closed, he spoke.

"Come on out Potter."

He heard the rustling of fabric, and when he opened his eyes, he met the green eyes of the so called Chosen One.

"I thought you were done spying on me." Draco said, not even bothering to lace the words with any of his usual venom.

Potter shrugged.

"I had an opportunity."

He shrugged in response. He waited, knowing that the other was surely bursting with his own questions along with a prepared speech. With Potter, he'd learned, he would tell you everything you wanted to know if you simply gave him time and payed attention to all he said and everything he didn't.

"I believe you're on the right side." Potter began, "But I don't care much for all the secrets you still keep."

Again, he didn't bother with a reply.

Potter clenched his fists in annoyance at his silence, but didn't rise to voice it.

"What's the deal with that curse of yours?"

Sensing he wouldn't figure out Potter's endgame unless he spoke, he finally offered a reply.

"What do you mean?"

Potter shook his head.

"Why don't you talk about it, or let anyone else talk about it for that matter. I'd have thought you'd be desperate to find a way to save your own skin."

 _Like you've always done._

It goes unsaid, but it's quite obviously there. Perhaps, at one point, he had been that person, but not now. No, he was tired, and the anger that had filled and fueled him for years had nearly run out. What hadn't had been redirected and focused. Besides, many of those actions had been just that. A script that needed to be followed.

"Why do you think that is?" he said lowly, "As I'm sure you're just dying to tell me."

Potter growled and after a moment obliged him with his answer.

"I know _him_." Potter stressed, "or rather I know him well enough to guess how he'd punish someone who displeased him."

Draco cast his eyes downward, turning his head to Potter to continue.

"He'll pick you apart, destroy you in pieces before he let's death clean up the mess. He'd make it slow. Gradual."

Draco let out a strangled breath, not entirely surprised that Potter had been the one to pick up on it. The bastard was perceptive when he wanted to be.

"And I know you know that too. It's why you don't talk about it. You don't think it'll make a difference."

"Then you know what the end result of that means." Draco said before sighing and leaning heavily against the wall. He closed his eyes before tiredly opening them and looking up to the ceiling of the hall.

"My father, Sirius, I don't think he'll survive it if I...if I go." he managed to say, "You're all he's going to have Potter."

 _Take care of him._

"You're going to have to actually think through your plans and plots. You have to stay alive."

He kept his eyes trained at the ceiling, focusing again on that simple but laborious inhale and exhale of his chest.

For a while, with only silence between them, he was nearly positive Potter had left.

"There's just one problem about all that." Potter spoke, "I need you alive just like you need me alive."

Draco swallowed roughly bringing his eyes to meet his one time rival's.

"You've got a lot of valuable knowledge. For fuck's sake you've been a spy for nearly 5 years," Potter exclaimed, "and I want to learn from you."

Draco shook his head in disbelief.

"And you're right. I don't think Sirius would…" Potter's voice dropped, "You're his son, and he loves you more than life itself."

He blinked furiously, struggling, nearly in vain, to pull his practiced mask back on.

"And there are good people who are behind you. They are going to try every possible thing that may help you."

He bit his lip and found himself nodding as Potter spoke. He could have nearly laughed or cried at the ridiculousness of the situation. Here he was getting a comforting pep talk from fucking Potter.

"Plus there's Hermione."

At that, Draco's eyes shot to meet the other's. Potter gave him a knowing smirk.

"I've seen her work miracles in tougher spots." he looked thoughtful for a moment, "Then of course there's you, and I hate to admit it, but you're fucking brilliant."

Potter shot him a tight smile at the shock that had easily gripped him at that final confession.

"And well, you both rose hell against each other. Imagine what you could do together." Potter finished before turning on his heel and leaving Draco alone within the hall.

He rubbed tired at his eyelids.

"You're fucked mate. Absolutely fucked." he muttered to himself.

He shook his head, pulling out a galleon from his pocket and tapping a message to Blaise for the change in time and to bring a bag to carry supplies in. He climbed up the steps, debating which potions he could have ready for Blaise to take to Hogwarts within two days.

Truly, between the horcruxes, the Golden Trio, the Order, the fucking Carrows at Hogwarts, and the ever present curse blackening his forearm, he had no time for rest.

"Fucked. Absolutely fucked." he repeated to himself as he heavily dragged himself up the steps to his room.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you to everyone who left a review, I absolutely loved reading them. At the guest reviewer Cat, I am so overjoyed that you like my fic and even more shocked that it's the first you've read in the hp universe. I've always thought Draco's character was much more complex than displayed and that it was a wasted opportunity to not explore it further in canon. Thank you for all the compliments.

As always Review! Review! Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

* * *

Hermione sat back in her seat as she half-listened to Remus explain the situation to the other Order members. They'd all agreed beforehand not to explicitly mention horcruxes and what they represented. Instead, they'd settled on a separate though plausible alternative. Relics that he'd spelled to draw power from.

In a way, it wasn't a lie.

Frankly, having direction, a plan, anything seemed to at least rally the remaining members.

They'd lost some already. It was easy to tell by simply looking around the seats of the room.

Moody was perhaps the most notable and a heavy loss indeed.

The vacuum of power left with his death seemed to have been split between Remus and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Both she respected and held in esteem. They were enduring, surviving, moving along.

She caught Tonks's eye again and quickly looked away. She'd been shooting her looks all evening, and she had an idea of why.

Draco.

She let out a breath.

Ever confusing Draco.

He hadn't shown to the general meeting, but soon, when most of the members had left, he'd be here. She stole a glance at Sirius, who seemed to hardly be paying attention to anything at all. Though she caught his eyes stray towards Bill periodically.

Bill.

A curse breaker.

She fisted her hand. She wondered how that meeting would go over with Draco.

Not well, she imagined.

Concern and tension were practically palpable across the room. Skirmishes had begun. The threat to the Ministry had been all but enacted. Then of course, there had been their bombshell tonight. Voldemort could not be defeated without the destruction of his 'objects'.

Saying the mood was weary would have been a gross understatement.

This wasn't a meeting. No it felt like more of a funeral.

Of course, there were those who clung to optimism. Tonks. Molly. On occasion, even Sirius would crack an inappropriate joke that, though weak, brought smiles to many faces. She was happy when it was over.

As many filed out, Molly would remind them ever so gently that her son's wedding was at the end of the week

She snorted. Oh yes, Molly Weasley was reminding everyone. This wedding meant the world to the Weasley Matriarch, and it was obvious she planned on making it an event to remember despite the graying world around them.

She stole a glance at Harry, who seemed utterly amused at the skeptical, and Ron, who had turned an unflattering shade of red at his mother's antics.

The twins were cracking jokes, and Bill, throughout it all, was silently laughing at his family's behavior.

It warmed her, seeing their carefree and easy happiness. Gods knew she didn't seem to have it in her lately.

As the Floo chimed signaling the last members exit, she took in those that remained.

The Weasley family. Tonks and her parents. Professor McGonagall.

And of course there was Harry, Ron, and Remus.

She could see the slight confusion on all of their faces as they stared in wait at Sirius. It was easy to see that Sirius had no real idea how to exactly break the news that he had to share. Frankly, she did not envy him.

Sirius opened his mouth as though to speak, when the subject of this secondary meeting, made his presence known.

"I have to say I thought there'd be a lot more action during an Order meeting."

All heads swiveled in the direction of the voice, and for a long while no one spoke.

Draco, for his part, didn't seem disturbed at the attention he was getting. In fact, he seemed completely comfortable standing with one arm leaning against the mantle of the fireplace and one leg crossed in front of the other. He was the picture of nonchalance.

Then, as though in a trance, Andromeda Tonks stepped forward toward him.

Draco dropped his arm and straightened before her, and even from her spot across the room, she could see the fondness he had for her glimmering in his eyes.

"Draco?" Andromeda whispered.

He bit his lip before offering his small smile in response. Then, in a move that shocked her senseless, Andromeda threw her arms around him and drew him into a tight hug.

She blinked rather bemused and more than a little confused at the action. This was perhaps the most outgoing and open she'd ever seen the older woman, and seeing it directed at Draco did not ease any of the two most prominent feelings churning in her chest.

Then nearly as quick as it had happened, the embrace was broken with Andromeda stepping back and adopting a stern expression.

"Draco Lucius Black. You conniving and reckless snake, how could you let me believe you were dead!" She exclaimed.

"Aunt Andromeda." Draco hissed, flushing slightly pink at the scolding he was taking.

She heard some of the boys snort and stifle laughs at his expense, before Molly silenced them all with a look.

At that, Sirius seemed to finally shake away the shock from Draco's dramatic entrance and went to stand beside him.

"Don't scold him too hard Dromeda, part of it was my idea."

At that, the woman seemed to adopt an even more fierce expression, prepared to offer Sirius a verbal lashing as well. Though before she could do so, it seemed the rest of the members in the room were finally able to comprehend what they were seeing play out before their eyes.

"As much fun as this is, " George began.

"Watching Sirius get his arse handed to him by Andromeda." Fred continued.

"I think we'd all like to know what is going on here." They finished together.

It seemed the twins had broke the dam that had held the questions floating silently between everyone in the room. Soon a cacophony of voices began speaking, seemingly at once.

She winced at the loudness of each person, and how the noise levels seemed to rise as more questions were asked and few answered.

"If the ferret's Sirius's son, who's his mother?"

She stilled, automatically turning to gage Draco's reaction. His face had gone blank, with his hands balled into familiar fists. Briefly, she wondered how much damage he could do without his wand in sight. Based on the thickening feel of magic in the air, it was probably quite a bit.

Sirius grew solemn and slowly she heard him recount the story of Elena Malfoy.

His voice was low, firm, and seamless as he went about his tale. Everyone had grown quite, captivated. Even those, she turned to Molly, Arthur, Andromeda, and Ted Tonks, who doubtlessly knew the first hand account of Draco's mother were silent.

When Sirius had finished, he leaned forward seemingly spent at recalling his history and unable to meet anyone's eye.

"Sirius." Arthur began, "Are you certain it's wise to have the boy here?"

Sirius's head shot up and, for a moment, Hermione could see just where Draco had gotten his air of danger from.

"For the sake of my respect for you, I am going to pretend you did not just insult me and _my_ son's integrity while in _my_ home." Sirius growled.

Arthur visibly winced, but before he could issue what could only be an apology, another voice chimed in.

"I think what we all mean." George stepped forward eyeing Draco, "is that despite what you've told us -"

"He's still a Malfoy." Fred finished, "And we have no reason to trust him."

Draco, then, stepped forward,stopping a mere foot from the twins.

"I think I'd like you to elaborate by what you mean by that." He said in a threateningly low voice.

Whether the twins caught Draco's seemingly destructive mood or they had and chose to ignore it, she would never be sure. Either way, both didn't seemed deterred.

"Lucius may not be your father, but he's still your uncle. He still raised you."

Draco cracked a smile that could only be described as feral. She shivered at it, wondering if he'd learned such an expression as part of his act or from his time spent surrounded by monsters on either side of him.

"So you think I'm rogue." he said, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he stepped even closer to the twins, "I know all about that." He was circling them now, "How the son seems to bear the mistakes of his father."

She practically heard Sirius's grimace at that.

"And maybe his mother."

She wasn't sure which twin had spoken, but she knew without having to see Draco's face that that had sealed it for him.

Sirius was growling, and beside him, even Remus looked ready to murder.

"What?" Draco whispered, his pacing halted.

"She was a Malfoy too. How do we know that this wasn't all some elaborate scheme?" Fred said, his hand moving slowly to his side. Most likely, he was closing in on his hidden wand.

"She was killed." Draco hissed, "burned alive, something _your_ uncles saw too."

"Maybe they thought she was a traitor!"

"They were weak." Draco growled, "When they were captured, they knew they were dead. Instead, they thought they'd bargain for their lives, for time." Draco's voice rose, "So they gave up the location of an innocent and fellow Order member and her fucking child."

When she blinked, Draco had one twin by the collar of his shirt, and the other with his wand pressed to his neck.

She hadn't even seen him move.

"Maybe they thought her _relations_ " Draco spat, "would spare her. They should have known better. Lucius wasn't even told of the attack, and by the time he knew, it was too late."

He closed his eyes, and she saw the labored rise and fall of his chest. She inched closer, fully aware at the risks of moving too quickly during such an explosive scene.

"All of you spineless ginger pricks aren't even worthy of hearing her fucking name." Draco said, digging his wand deeper into Fred's throat.

"Sirius." Molly said, desperately pleading with him to intervene.

Sirius looked at Molly coldly. "If you insist on continuing to insult my family in my home, then you can all leave."

"Sirius."

She turned to Andromeda, and though her face was decidedly neutral, she could see the anger the witch harbored in the tension in her shoulders. It was obvious that she wanted to diffuse the situation, despite the personal insult the Weasleys had leveled against her family.

She'd reached Draco now, and tentatively, she placed a hand on his back.

He shuddered at the action, but did not loosen his grip on either Weasley.

"Let's pick our battles." She whispered.

He let out a shaky breath, and she glimpsed, just momentarily his exhaustion and pain.

He dropped his wand and shoved George so that he stumbled to the ground.

In moments, Fred and George had scrambled back and been caught off guard when Molly pulled them both down by the ear and hissed reprimands at their behavior.

For a while, no one spoke.

Then.

"I believe him." Harry said. He turned his gaze toward Draco briefly before looking to each of the Weasleys. "I believe the reason he's here is genuine."

It was a hefty claim, one that Harry was clearly reluctant to admit no matter how true he found it. Her heart swelled in pride that he could behave so maturely when those older than them had not.

She looked at Draco, who was still standing a ways beside her. His eyes were slightly clouded, but the slight nod he sent in Harry's direction indicated he was at least still paying attention.

"Me too." Ron said after a moment jutting his chin in Draco's direction.

The crowd seemed to dissolve in murmurs, and she heard the Weasleys all intone an apology to Sirius and by extension Draco.

The later still hadn't moved. Nor reacted really. Hesitantly, she reached out touched his arm. His breath hitched, and she immediately withdrew. With horror, she registered the wetness of her fingers.

Draco, still shuddering, closed his eyes. "You're not there. You're not there anymore." he murmured to himself.

"Draco?"

When he didn't respond, she grew bolder. Aware that everyone had seemed to hear her and turned their attention to the two of them, she put her hands on both sides of his face and gently pulled him lower to meet her gaze.

"Draco."

His eyes fluttered open, and he seemed to focus on her. His breaths were quick and wheezing, and it fleetingly crossed her mind that he may need another dose of that medicine for his lungs.

Seeing the fog dispel from his eyes, she continued.

"It's bleeding again." she said softly.

He let out a puff of air before he dropped his forehead to rest on hers. "Ok." he breathed, pulling away, "I'm ok."

She dropped her hands, and felt her cheeks flush at the many inquisitive looks they were receiving.

Tonks had stepped closer and at Draco's nod of permission, she'd taken his arm gently into hers and rolled up his sleeve.

The bandages were soaked.

"Oh Merlin." Tonks muttered.

By this time, Sirius had come over and gently led Draco to sit down on a nearby chair.

Without thinking, she moved to the kitchen and summoned new bandages and a blood replenishing potion.

When she returned, arms full of supplies, she walked in just in time to hear Sirius speak very firmly.

"We need to talk about this now Draco."

* * *

He let out a breath and met Sirius's gaze. There was no getting out of it this time, no lies he could spin, no words he could use as a distraction. He glanced at the soaked bandages on his arm, and idly began to unwind them before he wandlessly summoned the new ones in Hermione's hand.

"Ok." He said.

As he began the process of wiping away the blood, his hands were swatted away by Tonks.

"Speak." She said firmly.

He bit his lip, suddenly incredibly uncomfortable with having his vulnerable state on display for everyone here.

He winced against the pounding in his skull that seemed to throb in tune to the flares from the wound.

"Draco." Without meaning to his eyes settled on Hermione.

He wasn't sure what to make of her. She'd seen him faltering and sensed something was wrong. He hadn't known what to do or even what had triggered the episode. All he knew was at that moment, pain had shot through him like never before, blurring his vision and replacing it with scenes he only ever remembered in nightmares.

This particular one had been his first taste of what he'd signed up for when he'd agreed to serve Voldemort.

Blood. On the dining table, splattered on the walls, and dripping down from Nagini's mouth and painting her shimmering scales. And of course there was the pieces still left on the table.

He shuddered, still keeping his eyes locked on her warm whiskey ones.

She'd pulled him out of it. How he didn't know. Merlin knew he'd tried to do the same for himself and only fallen deeper into the abyss of his mind.

Even now, he wasn't sure why he calmed looking at her. She was steady, unwavering even in the most horrible of situations.

It had been like that even while they were enemies.

But they weren't now, where they?

Friends.

She'd called him a friend.

It was more amusing than it should be, having someone offer their friendship genuinely to him before he sought it out. It came without obligations, attachments, or expectations. Something that made him feel exceedingly uncomfortable.

 _But not enough to abandon it._

"It's a curse." he said hoarsely, keeping his eyes on Hermione like she was the only one in the room. "Or multiple ones I suspect. It seems to just suck all the energy right out of me." He bit the inside of his cheek. "Keeps me from eating, dreaming anything that isn't riddled in torture…"

"You think it's fatal." Hermione whispered.

He nodded once and let his eyes drop to examine the floorboards. Tonks gently let his arm drop, and he heard shuffling before he was forced to look up and meet the gaze of Bill Weasley.

"May I?" he asked softly.

Again, he nodded in reply as the other pulled his wand and ran diagnostic charms over the open wound.

After a moment, he pulled away all too aware of how many eyes were watching the proceedings.

"Can we...Can we do this privately?"

Bill looked up at him, a sort of pitying expression on his face that showed he understood how crowded Draco felt.

"Actually, it would probably be better if we did."

Wordlessly, Draco stood and headed out of the room, not even pausing to make sure the elder Weasley was following him. He pulled into a drawing room and sat down in one of the many stiff chairs in the room. He let out a breath, studying the open wound.

It had stopped bleeding.

Idly, he thought his cousin had done a good job cleaning it out when he felt another presence join him.

The door shut softly, and Draco lifted his head to meet the other.

He could tell Bill felt awkward despite how well he'd hidden it in his confident strides.

"Well?" Draco asked, leaning back.

Bill shook his head, giving him full view of the scars marring his face. He felt momentary guilt at seeing them, but it faded quickly. If he started down that path, he would drown in it.

"You were right to think multiple curses."

Draco nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"It's got properties of a magical drain, but it's not stationary. It's centered at the arm, but-"

"It's already spread." Draco finished as he began twisting the one piece of gauze in his hand around his arm.

Bill nodded that pitying expression back on his face.

Draco wished he could scrub it off the other's face. He hated it, didn't want it, and certainly didn't need it. If this man who didn't know him felt bad, he could only imagine what someone who did would feel.

"If it runs it's course, it's guaranteed madness and physical atrophy. I can't be sure, but I suspect complete magical depletion too." Bill said with a sigh, running a hand through his longer hair. "I've seen something similar before, and I could try to remove it. But...there are reinforcement spells that might retaliate."

He said nothing, dipping his chin in understanding.

"I think a Healer should see it before I try anything and be there if I do."

Draco bit the inside of his cheek before he spoke.

"If you attempt a removal, what repercussions…"

"At best, you're bedridden for the foreseeable future. At worse, well." Bill trailed off, speaking more without words than with.

"It would help seeing how it was casted."

His eyes widened and briefly the sound of his own screams rang in his ears. He let out a breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

"If I do nothing, how long do I have?"

"From what I can see months, but I'm not sure."

Draco opened his eyes, and gently he prode his mind forward, seeping softly against the other's. Bill was being truthful, and while he was hesitant, he was confident in his analysis. Again, that glimmer of hope Sirius had lit grew.

"But." Bill began slowly, "I'm not doing it without a Healer also present and you as well as possible."

Draco stood and walked to where he stood a foot from the other.

"Why are you helping me?"

He needed to know. He knew Bill Weasley was genuine. He'd felt his honesty at his weak probe, and he could have slipped fully into his mind for the full answer, but something had stopped him. Oddly, he could respect the other man, but that didn't stop him from being weary.

"You're a kid. You don't deserve this."

"You don't know me."

It was quick, defensive, and dripped in his familiar harsh cruelty, but Bill didn't seem to mind it.

Their gaze met, and Draco made out true sincerity in the other.

"No one deserves this."

Draco sighed and turned on his heel, pacing as he thought.

He let his arms snake around the back of his neck, rubbing soothingly at the stiff and soreness of this throat.

He was willing, he thought, to try this removal procedure. However, there were things that needed to be done before he was put out of commission temporarily or permanently.

"I need time." he spoke lowly, "To research the retaliation spells, see a healer, and the like."

Not a complete lie, but not a complete truth.

At the very least, he needed to get the cup and sword before he took himself out of the equation.

He would have said more, but his next breath was interrupted by short string of coughs. He rubbed tiredly at his face before turning to Bill.

"A week is probably all around for the best."

He nodded gratefully.

"I have to tell them something." Bill said after a moment.

Draco tilted his head and studied the other, unsure why he was allowing him to choose what the others would hear.

"Tell them you have to wait a week to gather supplies and cross check some of the spells." Draco began before he painfully continued, "Leave out the extremity of the symptoms, and...tell the truth about...about how much time I realistically have if we do nothing."

 _But not that I may die if we do._

Bill seemed to note the omission, and his disapproval was clear even as he agreed to Draco's wishes.

They lingered, staring each other down. After a few moments, with his conscious nagging him, he spoke.

"I'm sorry." he cast his eyes to the side of the room away from Bill's kind ones, "I didn't know." he cleared his throat, wincing at the motion. "I didn't know Greyback would come."

Again the silence settled between them. Cautiously, he turned his head to look at Bill.

The older man was watching him intently.

"You did it for your mum, didn't you?"

Draco nodded.

"I'd probably have done the same."

* * *

Hermione kept feeling her gaze drift to the closed room. It made her nervous, his request for privacy. She was sure he knew more than he ought to about the curse on his arm. If he didn't want confirmation from Bill voiced out loud, then it was bad.

She could hear Andromeda still chiding Sirius, even asking if Narcissa was aware of Draco's whereabouts.

"She sent him here Dromeda. She sent him because it wasn't safe for him with her."

She saw Andromeda sigh, lines deepening into her beautiful face.

"He's never safe, least of all here."

She longed to hear Sirius's response, his defense, anything. She didn't know why, but hearing Andromeda say such a thing had chilled her down to the chest.

It was the truth. It was the truth for all of them.

"This might be one of the worst messes my cousin's gotten himself into."

She blinked and made out pink hair at her periphery.

"Hello Tonks." she said.

Tonks smiled warmly at her.

She waited for the questions to begin for today, for the day before, really for everything. It seemed so obvious to her that her perception and behavior towards Draco had changed that it must be equally as obvious to everyone else.

Though, right now, she didn't think she could answer any questions objectively. No. Right now she was inexplicably worried.

It had reopened and bled. What if it had happened with no one around to pull him out of the trance?

She shuddered at the thought.

"He's tough." Tonks said then, inclining her head toward the room. "Complete hard ass. Doesn't like help from anyone."

"I noticed." she said quietly.

"You've noticed quite a bit."

Hermione recoiled, and Tonks laughed at the action.

"Relax Hermione." She said holding up her hands as though to surrender, "I'm making an observation."

She watched the other witch, studied her face until she was satisfied that Tonks was being truthful. She let out a breath and nodded her understanding.

A thin smile pulled at Tonks's lips as she let her bright eyes again focus on the door.

When she spoke next, her voice was considerably softer.

"I'm glad though. He doesn't get close to many people. It's a good sign." Tonks said.

Hermione blinked and was about to ask just why it was a good sign, when Tonks stood and walked toward the room as the door swung open.

Bill stepped out and Draco followed a ways behind. She watched him. He was so graceful. That had been something she'd always known. Even now with his steps restrained and his head bowed, she still thought so.

Bill took one last look at Draco before he turned to Sirius who was eagerly waiting for the diagnosis.

"A week. A week and I should be able to try a countercurse."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you for everyone who left a review! I loved reading them. As always any reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Quote by Becca Fitzpatrick

* * *

He couldn't sleep. Merlin knows he tried between bouts of coughing. He simply couldn't breathe, between his screwed up lungs and his stuffed nose suffocating was a real possibility.

He threw off the covers and rose quietly from his bed.

He fumbled around for a few potions to take, giving up on the idea that he may drift back off to sleep, before he stumbled to the loo.

He had to meet Blaise today. Part of him wished he could get it over with now when dawn was just brushing up the earth instead of later when the rest of the house would have woken.

He shook his damp hair and slipped the jumper of his head, shivering slightly at the warmth it brought.

He'd been dodging Sirius, both because of all the Bill Weasley had spoke about after that fateful Order meeting and because he was now undeniable ill.

Sirius wouldn't let him out of his room much less the house if he caught him like this.

He stuffed a handful of tissues in his pockets before he walked softly toward the library. He had hopes to pass a few hours before he could slip away and meet Blaise.

He rubbed at his throat before reluctantly summoning and asking Kreacher for some tea.

He hated this. He always did. He wondered if maybe the curse eating at his insides was somewhat responsible for how quickly this sodding cold had ravaged his immune system.

He wouldn't be surprised.

He also wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't.

He'd always been more susceptible to them. No shock there considering the state of his entire respiratory system.

He sipped his tea, relishing the way the hot liquid coated his throat as it slid down and warmed his gut.

He blew his nose as softly as he could before he dropped his head to rest on his folded arms, staring at one of many history texts in front of him. They all had one common theme, Gringotts.

Something like instinct was telling him the cup was there, and he'd never been one to disregard such a feeling. While he may wait for confirmation to be sure, planning the break in early was a necessity.

He winced at the sharp discomfort from where his head had nudged the tender area of his forearm.

From what he could see, Polyjuice would work near the front of the bank. It was the back near the vaults that would be tricky.

He needed an in. Perhaps a goblin that he could barter with to get him to the vault.

It was where he'd become stuck in his plotting. Dealing with goblins was tricky business. You couldn't pay them off, they'd scoff and laugh at such an attempt.

 _But you could trade._

He still had access to a plethora of valuables, one of which could be enough to entice some poor Gringotts employee to getting him into the vault of a madwoman… or at least close enough that he could try to unravel her blood wards.

He wrinkled his nose in frustration before pulling another tissue and sneezing into it swiftly.

He groaned lowly and took another sip from his tea.

At this point, he was over it all.

* * *

She wasn't sure what had woken her, but the fact of the matter was she was now fully awake sitting on the edge of her bed with her recently showered hair braided neatly down her back.

It had been fitful sleep plagued with dreams and borderline conscious thoughts and debates.

After Bill had declared his diagnosis, she'd cornered him and asked if there was anyway she could help, any research she could do. He'd given her a list, and after her, done the same for Tonks.

Maybe splitting the work amongst the three of them would help the odds of all of this running smoothly.

Or so she hoped.

She wondered if Draco would actually take the advice to rest for this remaining week. She snorted in faint amusement. Not likely.

She slipped out of her room and quietly down the steps toward the kitchens where she made quick work of procuring herself a large and steaming cup of tea.

She padded silently toward the library, mug in hand, not really surprised to see a light on within the room.

Yes, rest was not likely for someone like Draco.

He noticed her, inclining his head in greeting before he let his gaze drop back to the book in front of him.

She shook her head before browsing amongst a shelf for another book that detailed protection spells, particularly those that came into effect after another had been broken.

A light sneeze broke her thoughts, and she turned to steal a glance at Draco, who was huffing in clear annoyance. He caught her staring before he turned away from her to softly blow and swipe at his nose.

She rolled her eyes, unable to hide her amusement at his obviously grumpy mood. He'd probably deny anything was wrong if she came out and asked it.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" She said taking one of the free seats at his table.

He gave her a baleful look with one eyebrow arched up in question.

 _Shouldn't you?_

He seemed to taunt before he shrugged his shoulders, and his face slide into his familiar neutral expression.

"My nose's is all stuffy, couldn't sleep even if I wanted." he said.

"You could take a Pepper Up."

He shook his head and snuffled quietly into his balled up tissue. "Can't actually. 'Cause of my lungs."

She felt like an idiot as soon as he said it. Of course he couldn't. Pepper Up, while effective was extremely potent and abrasive to the airways. He didn't need further damage there.

She didn't say anything, opting to look through the books he had in front of him. He must have had a similar idea as she. Many of the titles were books she'd skimmed through herself.

She frowned; though, at the scattered history texts amongst the others.

What had he been looking for?

Draco, for his part, had gone back to the book in his hand. As he turned the page, she caught sight of the title.

"Fairytales Draco?" She asked with a pull of a smile at her lips. It was a perfect echo to the question he'd asked her.

He let out a puff of air, closing the book and placing it on the tablet between them. He studied her, and she felt trapped in her seat unable to move under his scrutiny.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked, completely ignoring her earlier question.

"Awake?" She began adopting a cheerful expression, knowing it would irritate him to no end, "I couldn't sleep either. Sitting here? Well we're friends, aren't we. Friends sit together all the time. They enjoy each other's company. They help each other out..."

He didn't seem the least bit impressed.

"They tell them to go to sleep because they look like death warmed over?" he said cutting her off.

She rolled her eyes. She would have retorted that he was one to talk, but really that would have been a lie. Even with the edges of his face tight from lack of sleep and his skin paler and decorated with gray beneath his eyes, he was far from looking like a corpse warmed.

Unfair.

Instead, she shrugged, pretending she wasn't bothered by his jibe.

"Well since you mentioned it, shouldn't you be resting? This aside," She gestured to his pile of tissues to which he grumbled some weak excuse about allergies.

"You have a big week coming up."

He snorted before he crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.

She'd almost given up waiting for a reply when he cleared his throat.

"Maybe so, but if I rest or don't rest what difference does it make?" he said letting his fingers trace the cover of the book still between them.

She pursed her lips.

"You're right. Maybe it doesn't, but it can't hurt." She eyed him, studying for any cracks in the front that he never failed to present. "So I suppose the real question is why are you here instead of in bed?"

"Killing time."

Draco's eyes widened momentarily before he dropped his head to stare at the table, still tracing patterns in the book's cover.

She had a feeling he hadn't meant to say anything at all.

Killing time.

Killing time for what?

Her eyes narrowed.

"You're planning something."

He didn't respond, and by now, his reluctance to speak was beginning to grate her nerves. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, her worry, her waning patience, or her annoyance at his blasé attitude. Regardless, she didn't think before she spoke next.

"Do you even care? I mean Christ, don't you want to get better?"

He turned his head to the side, suddenly finding the opposing wall vastly interesting.

"Or have you given up already?" She demanded, standing to lean over the table and for once towering over him. "Is that what it all is, your last hurrah where you get us everything you can before you fade into the background wasting way?"

Still she was met with silence, and suddenly, all she wanted was to simply get a response from him.

"Bill said there was hope, and I know it's true. I know that -"

"You don't know everything Hermione. Fuck, you can't." He exclaimed then jumping to his feet and leaning over the table to mirror her.

She didn't say anything. It would have been a miracle if she could. She hadn't been expecting his outburst so soon.

She hadn't been expecting him to say her name.

"I am looking at all the facts and reason. I am preparing for every possible outcome, not just the ones I choose to acknowledge because they make me feel better." he said, "For all your brain and rationality Hermione you aren't cold from it."

"And what's so wrong with hope?"

He grew solemn at that, letting silence settle between them once more.

"I've never had it. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did." He said quietly before letting out a breath and dropping his head to once again study the wood of the table.

"What does it matter to you if I spend now until next week in bed, in this room, or out gods knows where?" he asked.

"Because I care." She exclaimed, immediately regretting the words as she spoke them. She flushed dropping her eyes down to the table.

She registered then how close their hands were, merely inches.

On impulse, she took one of her hands to lay over his. They were so much bigger than hers. Lithe with long fingers. Her hand looked so tiny in comparison.

She squeezed and felt him shake ever so slightly against her touch.

"I want to trust you." He whispered without looking at her, "I don't do that."

She could feel her heart practically pounding against her ribs, echoing in her ears loud enough that she was sure he could hear it.

She kept her eyes on the table.

"Then trust me." She whispered back. She felt his eyes lift to settle on her.

"I have to do this." he said instead, "I have to. Even if it takes me to my last breath."

She shuddered at that.

"And what about all the rest of us? What do you think we'll feel if you…" she trailed off unable to continue.

He turned his hand to cradle hers in his palm. "I never said I was a martyr, just that I had things to do." he said laughing softly.

"Draco…"

"I'm not tired. When I'm tired, I'll rest." he said giving her hand a firm squeeze.

She mourned the loss of warmth from his hand as he stood.

She looked up and he gave her a thin smile, one that though weak was genuine.

"That you care means more than you know." he said softly before giving her a wicked sort of smile and turning on his heel.

"Cover for me, will you." he called over his shoulder as he strode from the room.

She didn't have a moment to respond before he was gone and the soft crack of his apparition rang in her ears.

She slumped back into her chair staring at the teacup he'd left in his wake.

"Draco you're going to give us all a heart attack." She muttered before she reached for one the books and forcefully opened it.

* * *

Narcissa had once told him that to blend in one had to simply look like they belonged.

She'd been right, in her own way. Ease was something taken for granted but noticed when it was absent.

At the moment, he was anything but.

He was at the point where he could accept he felt like absolute shit. His head throbbed and breathing was becoming a chore, but that was all physical discomfort. Something he was familiar with and able to bite down and bear it.

No. That wasn't what was robbing him of his ability to simply sit back and down a shot of firewhiskey while he waited for Blaise.

 _I want to trust you._

He wanted to bang his head on the table with frustration.

Since when did he speak so freely and lay his sentiments out for others to speculate?

He balled his fists beneath the table, ignoring the sting of discomfort in his left arm at the motion.

It wasn't as though he could deny they weren't true. He did. He did want to trust Hermione Granger. Merlin, he didn't understand it himself.

She was a good ally to be sure. She was steady, collected, brilliant, unwavering. She was firm, and when she wanted she was a force to be reckoned with.

But even that wasn't it, was it?

She didn't expect anything from him. Not how he acted. Not what he said. No, she'd wiped her slate of him clean and was watching to learn...to see him and only him.

And as well meaning as she may be, it was dangerous and had to end.

He was a dying man, and dying men couldn't afford mistakes.

No matter how kind they were.

He was broken from his reverie with the sound of approaching footsteps. He inclined his head in greeting as the seat beside him was filled and placed one of the shots he'd ordered beside the other.

Blaise nodded in thanks before leaning back to watch him.

He wondered what he saw.

He knew his glamour was flawless as always, but that had never stopped Blaise from finding cracks and information before.

He was a lot like he was in that way. When you were fishing for tells, it wasn't always about the face. It was in the posture, hands, stance, angle of the other.

Like him, Blaise was raised to know to look for such things and to refrain from doing the same himself. He'd met Blaise's mother all but once in his life, and it was something he never wanted to repeat again. The woman had been the embodiment of cool cunning with eyes that cut and a smile that begged to draw blood from the other.

He understood why Blaise avoided home on holidays.

It made him laugh to think that pureblood idealist Ms. Zabini (or whatever her current last name was) had driven her only son to seek refuge from her in a world she'd taught him to hate.

Irony had never tasted so sweet.

Blaise downed his glass and placed it by his still full one, giving him one last look.

"What's with you today?"

Draco cracked a thin smile toying with his glass.

"You know me. The usual."

Blaise shook his head with a faint smirk.

"So girls and your plans for conquering the world?"

"I never said I was conquering it." he retorted with good humor.

"Ah but you could if you wanted, and then Merlin help us all." Blaise grinned plucking the shot from his hand and drinking it himself.

He rolled his eyes at Blaise's theatrics before he sighed and leaned tiredly over the table.

"Everyone?"

Blaise nodded. "Fine. Holding on best they know how."

He nodded, idly massaging his arm.

"The search?"

Blaise huffed rubbing at his face. "Hard mate. Every idea we have is almost immediately shut down. First there was Ravenclaw's alchemy notes, but those are in the Department of Mysteries, and they've never left. She had a ring that went missing, but again dead end. It's like looking for something in the middle of nothing. We're searching for a gem amongst junk. Nearly impossible."

Something about that tugged at Draco's brain. It was so painfully familiar, as though the answer was dancing at the tip of his tongue.

He let out a breath resolving to figure it out later when his head was clearer. He sniffed rubbing at his stuffed nose before letting out a puff of air.

"We need an alliance." he muttered, "Surely someone in Ravenclaw might have a clue. The Baron always told us tales of Slytherin that no one else had heard. The eagle's ghost could have done something similar."

"I doubt the Gray Lady will be snitching to a snake anytime soon." Blaise said flatly.

Draco shook his head.

"Oh don't give me that Blaise. You left quite a mark on the eagle's nest as I recall, and you never let an open door close." he leveled his friend a look, "I'm sure one of those poor sods would help given your _history_."

Blaise dropped his gaze to his palms, squaring his jaw.

It gave Draco the impression that if Blaise's dark skin could show it, the other would be blushing furiously.

Now that felt familiar.

"I mean off the top of my head I can think of that one girl from the year below us, Selene or Sabrine." he teased, "Or even that bloke. Terrence wasn't it?"

"Prick." Blaise hissed.

"Bastard."

"Slut."

"Like you're one to talk." Blaise snorted.

Draco laughed, momentary taken with how blissfully normal their banter was, before the action turned into a harsh cough that rattled in his chest.

He dropped his eyes to the table at the fit's finish, sighing lowly. He didn't have to look up to know that Blaise's eyes were back on him in that sharp and inquisitive manner of his.

"You sound awful mate. Should you even be out?"

He bit his tongue and looked up, debating whether he should defend, deflect, or lie through his teeth. In the end, he merely let another breath.

"It's just a cold." he said in a low voice.

"Which are disastrous for you."

He groaned, "Leave it mate."

"Draco."

"Believe me Blaise when I say I do not need another father." he said sniffling into his sleeve.

Blaise let out a sigh in defeat, shaking his head.

He got the strange sense he was being scolded.

He shook the thought away before reaching into his pocket to pull out the shrunken bag of supplies he'd gathered.

Blaise took the offered bag quickly with a murmur of thanks.

"I don't suppose you have anything for me?" he asked.

Blaise shook his head in answer. "Soon, but not yet."

He nodded, jaw clenched in irritation. He needed to move quickly, but it seemed the rest of the world couldn't follow.

He winced at the momentary flare up from his arm, automatically covering it with his other hand.

Blaise seemed to know better than to comment on the action.

"I hope you have plans to actually take it easy this weekend."

He snorted in response. "Believe it or not I'm going to a wedding."

Blaise looked at him as though searching for the lie before he let out a low laugh.

"Not yours I hope." he joked, "Or are dead men as active as the living?"

For some reason the joke left a bitter taste in his mouth, and not for the first time that day he felt tired. Unbidden, his mind went to a vision of warm whiskey colored eyes. He had to physically shake his head to dispel the image.

 _Keep it together Draco._

Blaise's smirk was in his voice when he spoke next.

"Ah. Now what is that my dear Slytherin Prince?"

"Come off it Blaise. Nothing will come of it." he said quietly.

For a moment, neither one of them spoke.

"Draco." Blaise said after a moment, "I know you. I've known you since nappies and toy brooms were our entire world, and even then I've only been able to spot one of your lies for one of two reasons."

"Blaise." he cut him off, the warning clear in his tone.

Blaise let out a breath.

"Mate, for once in your miserable life, " he paused, "What is it you want?"

"Blaise." he said intent on ignoring the question that seemed to be ringing in his ears nonstop now that it had been asked. He bit his lip, "I need a favor."

The other looked momentarily intrigued, though the disappointment of his dodging of the true question was clear in his gaze.

"Gringotts." Draco continued.

At Blaise's questioning look, he launched into a brief explanation of his suspicions.

"Are you still close with those goblins you used to do business with?"

At Blaise's nod, he made his request. "I need to know about Bellatrix's movements. How often she's been, how long, if any modifications have been made to the vault."

Blaise's eyes narrowed, and he could see the gears turning as he finally pieced together to true reason for the odd request.

"And if my answers are what you're hoping for…" Blaise trailed off.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek.

"Then I'll need to know which goblins might be agreeable to _negotiations_."

Blaise's breath hitched as he ran both his hands through his hair.

"Mate be careful. You're playing a very dangerous game."

"I always do."

Blaise shook his head. "Draco. Sometimes I wonder if all of this… this risk and fixation has stopped you from just living. Like all this time, all you've been doing is just existing." he finally said after a moment before standing swiftly.

"I'm not sure who it'll be next" he continued, "But mate be careful, and...take my advice and find out what it is you truly want."

He didn't have a chance to respond before Blaise had moved and was out the door.

He slumped in his seat leaning his elbows on the table for his hands to cradle his head as he grew lost in his thoughts about how many more pieces he still had to move.

* * *

Merlin help her, but Hermione did cover for him. She lied, and each time she did it she hoped against all odds that he was alright and that this lying would be worth it.

He wanted to trust her, and for some strange reason, she wanted to prove he could.

She was pretty sure that Ron was suspicious, and Harry outright didn't believe what she was saying. Though it hadn't been her friends she was concerned about, it was Sirius.

He meant well, she knew he did, but somehow she felt she'd gained some new understanding to Draco. The more anyone tried to box him in, the more likely he was to find a way out.

He didn't want to be trapped, and forcing him on bedrest was effectively that.

She knew if it were her that she would want to carry on as normal as possible. Though she doubted, she would constantly risk venturing out just to prove a point.

And yet, that didn't seem to be the attitude behind his excursions.

He had purpose. He wanted to show his worth, and it made her think that he felt he constantly had something to prove.

She wondered what had made him that way, what had made him unable to simply admit when he needed help.

Unable to acknowledge that he wasn't 100%; that he needed comfort or rest or anything that was undeniably soft in comparison to his roughened exterior.

Part of her didn't want to know.

"I'm sorry Harry that we haven't had as much time to just talk."

She paused from her descent down the stairs toward the kitchen, recognizing Sirius's voice echoing above her.

She heard someone sigh, knowing somehow that it was Harry.

"It's alright Sirius, truly with everything going on...I understand."

"Yes, but I still should be asking how you are with all of this. I know Draco can be a bit much."

Harry snorted, and even she had to resisted the urge to mimic the action.

Draco had never been 'a bit' of anything in his entire life.

"He's...he's not what I thought. Ironically, in a good way." Harry said after a moment.

This time Sirius let out a tired breath, and without having to see him, she knew he was exhausted and riddled in worry.

"It's just so hard with him." Sirius sighed, "Harry...Be honest, am I completely bollocks at this? Being a parent."

They were both quiet for a moment, and she held her breath, anxious over what Harry's answer would be.

"I think you're doing all you know how to do, but right now, I think you need to just wait for Draco to come to you."

 _But what if he never comes?_

She shook the thought away, quickly resuming her steps down to avoid hearing Sirius's reply.

She stumbled down quickly and into the kitchen without stopping anywhere else.

Ron looked up at her from where he was seated at the table, a questioning look plastered on his face. She ignored it and walked over and took the seat beside him.

Ron let out a breath when it was obvious she didn't plan to speak anytime soon. He stood and wordlessly began making a second sandwich that he set before her along with a mug filled with warm hot chocolate.

"Thank you." she said quietly taking the mug into her hands and savoring the way the warmth spread across her palms.

She took a sip before she placed the mug back on the table and met Ron's gaze.

He squared his jaw.

"So where's he run off to this time?"

She swallowed her bite from the sandwich quickly, nearly choking as it lodged in her throat.

She debated lying, but quickly dismissed it. She didn't particularly want too.

"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders.

Ron gave her a funny look. "And you're still covering for him?"

She shrugged again before taking a deep breath.

"I want him to trust us, maybe then he'll start letting us in on these ideas of his." her voice dropped, "He got one all on his own Ron. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he knows where all the rest of them are, and I want…"

"To do something." Ron finished with a nod, "Yeah me too."

She took another sip of hot chocolate, grateful that Ron at least understood that part of her confusing actions.

"Snape came by earlier."

She perked up at that.

"And?" she asked.

Ron shrugged, watching her closely, "He's got the replica and making the switch in a day or two. Brought over some more potions and said he was looking for a trustworthy healer to come and check out Draco."

"Good." she murmured, somewhat more to herself than to Ron, "The sooner he's checked the better. I can't be sure, but I think it must be worse…"

Ron said nothing, instead he reached out and took one of her hands into his.

"Mione." he let out a breath, "Be careful with this save Draco project you have going."

She withdrew her hand. "Ronald, I hope you aren't saying what I think you are." she said sharply.

He winced. "Blimey Hermione, all I'm saying is the ferret may not have been who we thought, but we still don't know him, and you should be careful."

"From what Ronald? He's ill -"

"I'm not saying he doesn't deserve help." Ron cut her off, growing slightly pale as though recalling the sound of Draco's tortured scream after the first incident. "But I know you Mione, and you throw yourself head first in all your projects and…"

"He's a person not a project Ronald." She said crossing her arms.

He leveled her another look of doubt. "And some people aren't ready for someone like you." he finished.

She slumped in her seat, slightly dumbfounded at Ron's surprising insight.

"And just like he's not ready, I'm not sure you're ready for someone like him."

Ron stood and in an uncharacteristic move took his plates and deposited them into the sink before he abruptly left her alone in the kitchen, pondering about what all he'd said.

* * *

He stumbled slightly as he landed from the apparation. His head was still spinning, and it wasn't helping the raging migraine he was currently sporting. He sniffed as he came to lean against a table. He bit his lip as he stared up at the tapestry before him, his hand coming up to run through his hair.

As it always did, his eyes went automatically to Sirius's name and immediately after that to Narcissa's before dropping to his.

 _What do you want?_

He snorted, wincing at the soreness in his throat at the motion.

All wanted right now was the sick bastard dead before he was, was that so much to ask?

The rest?

The hell if he knew.

His arm was throbbing again, nothing new really. It constantly did now, sucking him dry of any energy he may have, but unable and unwilling to fall asleep to recharge.

He felt another presence join him.

"I thought you wouldn't be sneaking off again." Sirius began.

Draco kept his back turned, suddenly incredibly interested in the woven thread in front of him. He took his time before answering, mindful of the thickening of the air in the room. It was just waiting for a single spark before it all blew up around them. Any word out of turn and they'd never stop.

In this state, he wasn't sure he wanted to speak let alone argue with anyone.

"It's no less than what you've done." he finally said, immediately regretting it.

"How many times do I have to spell it out for you? I don't want you to put yourself in unnecessary danger. You are so important. So. So much more important than whatever it is you're doing."

Draco shook his head before whirling around to meet Sirius head on. His own thoughts of caution seemed to have been thrown out in favor of following his temper.

"Why? Why am I suddenly important when I wasn't before? Because of this?" he gestured to the tapestry, "Because that's all I've known. How important I am because of this side of my line and even more from the other. No other reason." He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, " What does it prove? That we're Princes? Princes in a country that doesn't need kings."

"Draco."

"You didn't care. You gave it up. All of it. What if I'm just doing the same?"

"You're smarter. You are nothing like me." Sirius said.

"I am exactly like you." he shouted throwing his arms out, "Hasn't all of this proven that I am exactly like you?"

He stumbled so that his back was against a small tea table in the room.

"And I hate it. You weren't there. How could I turn out to be so much like you?" he choked out, his vision blurring.

With horror, he felt his cheeks grow wet. He ducked his head and brought his hand to rub off the offending moisture.

He was so caught up in the whirlwind of highs and lows his emotions were bouncing between that he didn't notice Sirius step closer to him and drape his arms around him to pull him closer.

"It's alright Draco. Let it out."

He choked, unsure why exactly he was falling apart right now. Was it just all the stress finally beating down on him when he was already drained and sick? Or perhaps he'd just been building to this breakdown since the first argument he'd had with Sirius coupled with the dark cloud of cynicism that hung over his future or lack thereof. It didn't matter, but in that second he truly seemed to break and as hard as he tried he couldn't contain the sob that tore out of his throat.

"It's alright." Sirius soothed.

He found himself shaking his head against his father's chest. He was quickly becoming an incoherent mess, but those words sparked something ugly and desperate in his chest.

"It's not." he whispered, "It's not at all. I'm fucking terrified...I'm not ready...I'm not ready to go…"

"Shh." Sirius said tightening his hold around him, "I would never let that happen. You know I never would."

He'd been trying so hard to avoid actually thinking about what was happening. He had hidden behind facts, tasks, and plans to keep any encroaching feelings from coming over him. He'd put on his mask determined not to let anyone see how truly beaten down he was...how afraid. He'd wanted to pretend, to convince even himself, that he could accept whatever end he met with this curse eating him from the inside out...that he didn't have regrets.

But he did. Merlin he did.

He thought of all the times he'd hidden how he'd felt, what he'd wanted, and for what?

At Malfoy Manor, he'd lived a mostly cold life, were genuine sentiments were never truly voiced.

He knew his mum knew he loved her, but he wished he'd told her more.

And then of course there had been Lucius, and he wished he'd gone against his upbringing and shouted, raged, argued against Lucius more than he had. In this state, he could foolishly believe that perhaps it might have made a difference in the way the story had been spun. Because, even though Lucius was cool and restrained with bones that seemed to be made of iron, he knew that something warm that beat to a rhythm was still lodged in his chest.

They were still family, and that notion alone might have been enough had they chosen to actually behave like one.

Finally, there was Sirius. He wasn't sure he'd ever told him much of anything. His frustrations, recently his anger, but never something raw or pure or heartfelt. Even now he couldn't say aloud that he loved him, so he did in a manner he knew. The way the pain seemed to be gripping each bit of his body had him convinced he was running out of time to do so.

"Dad." he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He managed before he choked on another shuddering hiccup of a breath.

Sirius didn't say anything and if possible he held him tighter as he continued to sob against him.

When he could finally breathe again, his face was slick with tears and his nose was running while he shivered and shook from both exhaustion and what he imagined was fever.

He pulled away from Sirius and coughed lightly into his arm before he began to rub at his face to wipe away the tear stains.

It was odd. He felt light now. The burden of everything he still had to do was still there, only it seemed...manageable, shared even.

Sirius gave him a thin smile.

His dropped his gaze down, but not before taking in the wet spots across his father's shirt. Mortified, he was hit with the realization of what exactly had just occurred.

Oh Merlin.

"It's fine." Sirius said interrupting his string of thoughts, "It's completely fine Draco."

He let out a breath before he nodded in understanding.

"I...I'd like to just be alone for a bit." he said, his voice scratchy and strained.

Sirius looked like he wanted to protest, but after a moment seemed to think better of it.

"Alright." He sighed, "If you need anything call for Kreacher."

He nodded again and even managed to shoot Sirius a weak smile.

He waited until Sirius's footsteps had faded into nothing before he slumped inward onto himself. He debated what he was going to do now, because without a doubt, he knew the last major wall he'd had between him and his father had been irrevocably broken.

* * *

She'd grown anxious waiting for Draco to return. She'd tried to busy her mind to both ignore Ron's echoing warning and keep herself from wondering what exactly was keeping Draco.

She had no shame in admitting she was worried. He was cursed, obviously tired, and sick no matter how much he would probably argue against that last fact.

And as much as she worried, she was even more curious. Who did he go out to see? Not Snape, at least not this time, as he'd come to the house. It wasn't that she was worried he might be playing them all.

She just wanted to see who he seemed to value enough that he would risk easy capture just to meet with them.

She'd taken to wandering, up and down and back and forth through the halls and stairs of Grimmauld Place.

It was a remarkable house, more so now with all the work Sirius had put into fixing it up. It twisted and turned, humming with old magic that she could practically taste on her tongue.

This. This was the advantage of coming from magical blood, being able to build something to last for generations. To make a mark and offer protection to your descendants.

The sentiment had just been twisted into something ugly and riddled in racism and bigotry. It couldn't have always been like that.

And hopefully it wouldn't be like that in the future.

She paused at the end of this hall, her eyes settling on the room at the end which housed the Black family tapestry. She was contemplating going there when another pair of footsteps sounded another's arrival.

She froze excuses on her tongue when Sirius came into view. He stopped abruptly, staring at her in disbelief before he seemed to recover.

Then, as though discomfort had never been decorating his face, he smiled a rather large and charming smile. His eyes were lit in amusement in a way that left her slightly nervous and her cheeks rapidly warming.

"If you're headed where I think you are," he began, leaning in as though to whisper conspiratorially with her, "I'd wait just a little longer. By then, he'll be calmer."

She blinked, easily putting together just who they were speaking about. Her heart fluttered and she fumbled her denial and excuse. Sirius shrugged them off easily, winking at her before he stepped to continue down the hall.

He seemed considerably lighter than she could recall him being recently.

It continued to feed her curiosity.

She took a breath, contemplating what she should do as she paced a few feet from her spot in the hall. After quite some bit of time, she drew in a breath and squared her shoulders ready to make her way down the hall.

Her step didn't falter until she stood a foot from the door.

"You're a Gryffindor Hermione." She muttered to herself before she took one last breath and went into the room.

* * *

All her worry was for not. She bit back her small smile at the sight that greeted her as she entered.

Draco was slouched in one of the many uncomfortable chairs in the room with one leg thrown haphazardly over the arm and one of his arms propped up to cradle his head. He almost seemed to be spilling out of it, but despite the discomfort of his position, she'd never seen him so relaxed.

Now that the tension wasn't present in his face, her eyes swept clearly over the dips and edges from his jaw to his forehead and pausing to examine (with envy) his long lashes that were brushing the tips of his cheekbones.. With a start, she realized he did look so much like Sirius that it was a wonder she hadn't seen it before.

It had been clouded with her perceptions of him and even more so by his behavior. He carried so much that seeing him without his burden was like seeing an entirely different person.

 _He was abominable...and the most alluring, tortured soul I'd ever met_.

She called out his name softly, and he stirred for a moment before dropping back to nestle even more into the chair.

He looked slightly groggy, sleepy and uninhibited in a way she'd never seen him. It humanized him.

Enough so that she no longer had any qualms about approaching him.

She shook him gently.

"Come on sleepy head, I think your bed might be more comfortable." she said still keeping her voice low. His eyes fluttered open still blurry with sleep clinging drowsiness.

"I'm awake." Draco mumbled swatting her hand away, before he pulled himself up. He rubbed at his face, before he dropped his hand to run his knuckles under his nose.

She tugged at his arm. "Come on let me help you up to your room and you can go back to sleep there. It might help you get over this bug faster if you actually rest."

"Stop it, I'm not sle… ah…" he swatted her hand before he turned away from her and sneezed softly into his wrist. He sniffled wetly, not meeting her gaze.

"Yes. Yes." She said softly, pulling him by the arm, "You're not sleepy, and you're not sick. I know."

He grumbled, but allowed her to pull him out of the armchair. He half turned away from her to cough, a rattling sound that made her wince at the harshness of it.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed."

He gave her a sleepy smile. "But Granger I hardly know you." he rasped.

She resisted the urge to smile. "Come on Draco. I think this cold is starting to addle your brain."

He frowned before shaking his head to laugh softly, letting her lead him out of the room and to the stairs.

"Why do you insist on sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." He muttered when they finally reached his room.

She shook her head and opened the door to lead him inside.

"We're friends. You know that Draco. It's getting rather tiresome reminding you."

He snorted, breaking into another coughing fit at the action. He pulled away from her and dropped unceremoniously onto the bed before he rolled onto his back and pulled out his inhaler from his pocket.

"Don't you have too many friends?" he asked after puffing in his medicine and tossing the inhaler at his bedside.

Slowly, she came up and sat at the edge of his bed. She let out a breath.

"Maybe you just have too few."

"It's better that way." he sat up watching her intently, "Getting closer to people, giving up some part of you to someone else. It makes you weaker."

It makes you strong." she argued, "It makes you strong because you do it anyway, knowing it would make you weaker, more vulnerable."

Unintentionally, she'd edged close enough so that their hands were nearly touching atop his covers. His eyes drifted momentarily to their hands, but he made no move to distance himself from her.

"I hope you don't regret it. Being friends with someone like me." he finally said sitting back against his headboard. He fiddled with the gaze at his arm, casting his eyes downward as though to avoid hers.

"Draco-" she began.

He sniffed running an index finger under his nose, but still not meeting her eyes.

She could feel her response die on her lips as she took him in, shivering slightly, nose running, and still somewhat groggy from need for more sleep.

She'd confront him another time.

"If you can't take a Pepper Up, isn't there something else that could at least help?"

He looked up at her then, eyes narrowed in question and suspicion at her easy concession. After a moment, he shrugged and jutted his chin towards his potions drawer. "I might in there."

She sighed getting up to rummage through his mini apothecary. By the time she was through, she'd forced three different potions into him and a full glass of water. He was already beginning to nod off again from their combined effects by the time she was through.

"Good night." she murmured standing ready to leave him to sleep.

He blinked up at her and took her arm, seemingly on impulse.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, "for helping me up here."

She nodded dumbly reduced to simple gestures of communication from the shock of his touch.

He let out a puff of air.

"This idea of friends that you have." he said biting his lip, "do they trust one another?"

She almost wanted to tease him, but she quickly abandoned the thought. He looked too genuine, too innocent, in that moment to risk ruining it.

"They do." she murmured.

He nodded once.

"Then I suppose we are friends."

He dropped her arm.

She could feel her heart fluttering at that. She smiled widely.

"Good." she said.

He smirked. "You're entirely too easy too please Hermione." he said, the end of his sentence being cut off by a large yawn.

"Maybe." she murmured reaching over and pulling up his covers.

"Night." he muttered turning on his side to bury his head in his pillow.

"Good night Draco."

She slipped out as quietly as she could and eased the door shut. She let out a breath as soon as she was safely in the hall and leaned back against the door.

Her hand went to her arm.

"We are friends Draco." she said softly to herself, "Now start acting like it."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: To everyone who left a review, you all are amazing. I loved and appreciated every single one of them. At FireRuby, Draco's name and reasoning behind it will be explained in this chapter. As always, all reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco let out a breath, shuffling slightly before the grave in front of him. He looked down at his shoes, scoffing one of them into the earth.

He'd needed a break, a breather really, from all the hovering and crowding.

Being confined to a room, to an entire house really, made him feel as though he was fated to only exchange one prison for another.

He shivered.

Trapped.

Just the word brought back images and sensations from punishments he'd blocked out over the years.

He thought the muggle word for it was claustrophobia, and yet, he felt it was a completely inept way of describing what the enclosement symbolized for him.

He sniffed, rubbing at his nose.

His cold was better, but not enough that he didn't still feel slightly under the weather.

He just wanted to scream. The melancholy and desperation was now being overshadowed by his utter frustration at every and anything.

He balled his fists from where they were shoved deep into his pockets and fell to the ground.

"Well Mother." he murmured studying her grave, "What the fuck should I do now?"

He shook his head. He'd come here for space, escape, before he was forced back into the house and later into the tent where the Weasley wedding would take place.

The whole thing filled him with a sense of dread.

He'd wanted to just forget. To forget and not be himself. Not Draco Malfoy. Not Draco Black. Nothing. He wanted to be nothing for a while.

He bit his lip, thinking then of something that could help with that. He hadn't done it in ages, and part of him was almost concerned he couldn't anymore.

He banished that thought quickly for the utter ridiculousness of it.

"I'm going to join you one day." he muttered at the headstone, closing his eyes, "Just not yet."

He took a breath, leaning his head back before he shifted.

* * *

Becoming an animagus was probably the most impulsive and ill-thought idea he'd ever had.

In retrospect, he knew that his justifications for even considering the attempt had been childish. Yet, at the time, he'd simply been unable to truly think clearly.

He was upset.

More than that he was angry.

It had been the middle of fourth year, which had already had a rather awful start to it to begin with. Lucius had been incredibly short tempered whenever they'd spoken, or he was summoned back home for another round of 'lectures'. The tournament had been in full swing. And of course, there was the fallout of his rather anticlimactic reunion with Sirius.

He'd known that year that he couldn't really afford to let anything slip of the changes in his rather tumultuous personal life so he'd lashed out and made increasingly terrible decisions.

It was also probably the year he'd hated Potter the most.

He wasn't really jealous of his entry into the Tournament, far from it, it was more the principle of everything he embodied.

He could have gotten away with murder and Dumbledore would have sat him down comforted him and offered extended therapy sessions.

And then there was his relationship with Sirius.

Really, he knew he wouldn't truly be able to see him often, but he'd thought during the holiday break that he'd have some opportunity. It had been foolish, considering that Potter would without a doubt be journeying to Grimmauld Place if he had the chance…

He'd felt the true burden of his cover then. Second. He had to be good but never enough. He had to make an impression, but nothing that would encroach on the place each other piece on the board held.

So, he turned to other things.

His rushed relationship with Pansy, which had been an awful and a borderline toxic train wreck.

Petty insults, selling information, and the list went on.

It wasn't until he'd been moping around in the Manor library that the idea had came to him.

He'd found the book amongst the shelves and decided that this...this was going to be something he alone could have.

His father had done it around his age, and he figured that he would too.

Maybe he expected something to change with the accomplishment; gratification, pride, but once he'd finally shifted for the first time, the need to somehow flaunt had died out.

It had begun as an idea to do something for him for once and like that it remained.

He roamed around the woods that bordered the plots, relishing the feel of the dirt on his paws and the lick of the wind through his fur.

That had been the other surprise he'd encountered during the process.

The animal he'd become.

It was, in reality, quite ironic that he became the embodiment of a lone wolf.

At the very least it hadn't been a ferret.

He continued to move, not particularly caring how long he remained in this form. Time felt different to an animal than it did for a human, when he finally shifted back he was sure more than an hour had passed. He rose slowly to his feet, aching near his hips and shoulders.

It had been nearly a year since he'd spent so long as a wolf. He hadn't expected it to impact the rest of him so much. It was like a muscle. It remembered the movements, but it grew sore and stiff when unused.

He stumbled back to his spot by the grave, growing lost staring at that familiar epitaph.

He didn't often feel the absence of Lena. Truly, how could you miss something you didn't remember you had, but right now he wondered what it would have been like had she not died.

Sirius might not have gone after Pettigrew.

He wouldn't have grown up with the force of a vendetta on his shoulders.

She.. she might have given him that unattainable approval he'd sought after most his life.

He felt guilty at that thought. Narcissa had tried. Merlin had she tried to drive such things out of him, but at the end of it all she didn't understand how to make their situation any better than it was.

He ached with it.

"I miss you, and I never knew you." he murmured, leaning back on his hands.

He sat quietly then just watching the flowers move with the light breeze breaking the silence to cough lightly or sniff at the remaining congestion in his airways.

He must have truly been taken with his thoughts to not have heard another's approach.

He shifted slightly, noticing the other quietly take a seat not too far from him.

"It's been awhile since you shifted hasn't it?"

His eyes widened, and he whirled around to face Remus.

Remus smirked, light dancing in his eyes.

He studied him, seemingly trying to find some way to discern how Remus knew as well as what he thought of it. After a moment, he sighed in defeat. Denying it, would be an obvious lie at this point.

"How did you know?"

Remus's smirk morphed into a smile.

"I can smell it on you." Remus said.

In a way that did make sense, it was better than the alternative option that he'd simply become sloppy in his exhaustion and frustration.

He shook his head.

"And I can tell it's been awhile based on the stiffness you now have." Remus continued gesturing over his form.

Draco stayed silent at that. It had been a while, and frankly he didn't want to recall the last time he had shifted.

5th year.

He shivered recalling a flash of a spell and the teetering of Sirius's legs as he lost his balance.

He shut his eyes willing his breath to calm. It wouldn't due for him to be thrown into a panic over a memory; no matter how terrible said memory was.

"Is that how you snuck in that night..at the ministry?" Remus asked quietly interrupting his fall into the recesses of his mind.

He clenched his jaw and nodded once.

"You...you aren't going to tell him…"

"That you're the reason he tripped in the opposite direction." Remus continued, shaking his head, "That's something you should tell him yourself. One day."

He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding before turning his gaze back to Lena's headstone.

More than likely he'd never tell Sirius. Most of the time, he didn't even believe it himself. It had been just a moment, but in it he'd experienced thousands.

The one thought that seemed to rise above the others though had echoed in his ears for days after the incident.

Was he destined to watch both his parents die?

"Do you remember her?" Remus said then, gesturing toward the headstone.

It seemed like the other was fishing for information. He could understand the curiosity about it. He came to this grave quite often, but it wasn't because he remembered her.

He really couldn't be certain why he allowed these kinds of conversations with Remus when he allowed them with no one else. Perhaps it was his objectivity and his relatively warm nature. He never seemed to judge, and in truth that was probably the reason that trumped them all.

"Not really." he murmured, letting his eyes fall to his hands, "I mostly just remember that night."

 _The night she died._

He didn't need to say it, Remus seemed to understand.

"I wish…" he shook his head and biting the inside of his cheek, unable to continue.

 _I wish I had happier memories of her._

Remus nodded in understanding before his face morphed into a fond grin of remembrance.

"She was quite the character. Looked like ice, but could make anyone melt."

He clenched his fists together and listened intently as Remus continued to speak.

"She and Sirius argued relentlessly. Sometimes everyone would forget they loved each other because of how intense those arguments would be…" Remus shook his head, "But then you'd catch them in the most compromising of positions and that love was only all too clear."

Draco grimaced, horrified at the sudden image of his father intimate at all. Remus let out a loud laugh at his expression before he quieted, growing thoughtful the longer he looked at him.

"She loved you, you know. From the minute she found out she was pregnant with you she adored you."

He swallowed against the hardness of his throat, suddenly only able to manage even low and shaky breaths.

"They argued about what to name you for months." Remus said softly, "Lena believed that certain traditions were too beautiful to let die just because the rest of the family was too wrapped up in hate and anger."

He blinked his eyes furiously, sensing he was rapidly losing control.

"So they picked your first name from the stars. Sirius was in love with the idea of naming you after a dragon." Remus let out a low chuckle, "Then it was just your middle name left."

Remus shook his head that same grin back on his face.

"By the time you came, they still hadn't decided. Both of them came from family lines where the middle name was usually the father's name. Lena, though, wanted her family somehow honored and Sirius was arguing viciously against it...Abraxas Malfoy, your grandfather, was a hard man and even though it tore him he broke the family connection from her when she wed Sirius, stopping short of completely disowning her."

Draco nodded, recognizing this part of the story as something he'd pieced together all on his own.

"She didn't want to name you after him though, instead she wanted to name you after her brother, who she'd loved incredibly." Remus let out a breath, "It was certainly mutual, because until it became nearly impossible, they still spoke as frequently as they could manage."

"Sirius must have hated that." he spoke before biting his lip at his quick outburst.

Remus nodded, not the least bit deterred that he'd interrupted him.

"But then you came, and it was too early…" Remus trailed off, letting his eyes drift to the headstone, "You were such a tiny baby with hair so blonde it was nearly white." He smiled slightly, "And Sirius was just in shock, staring at you like you were the only thing in the world that he could see. He gave in to Lena then. What with it being such a surprising and difficult birth...I think he figured that it was all so fragile and if it mattered so much to her, her wouldn't deny her it."

Draco grew silent before he finally spoke.

"I miss her." he let out a breath, "I miss her and I never knew her."

"Yes you did." Remus said quickly, leveling him a look, "Some part of you did, and that same part always will."

Draco shrugged not trusting his voice.

Remus gave him a thin smile before he leaned back to mirror his earlier position.

"So were you surprised at your form?"

Draco snorted, oddly relieved to be returning to a neutral conversation.

"For a while there I thought I would be something with wings."

* * *

Hermione let her eyes wander across the rather large tent.

In truth, it didn't really resemble a tent at all. It was like a mini house complete with glittering decorations and lights that rivaled the beauty she'd seen in the princess books of her childhood.

Molly had truly gone all out.

She fiddled with the ends of her skirt as she walked along the rapidly filling tables.

This morning had been strange to say the least. Dress robes were being tossed back and forth and the whole house seemed lost in the lightness that came with a happy event like a wedding.

She didn't even realize Draco was missing from the scene until he'd returned with Remus nearly an hour before they had to leave.

Based on Sirius's lack of reaction, he must have already known where he'd be.

She wondered what had sparked the outing. He'd been so restrained lately, though that may have been because of how nasty his cold had gotten.

She let out a breath.

Snape had been by again very briefly to check on his godson before informing them that a healer would be coming in two days to check the wound. She wished she could have heard that conversation between her Potions Professor and Draco.

They had such an odd relationship, and it lit her curiosity filling her with scenes of a young Draco trailing Snape and badgering him with questions on various potion ingredients.

The innocence of the image had brought a rare smile to her lips.

Perhaps the greatest thing that had come from the meeting had been the delivery of the sword, but with everything going on it had been momentarily sidelined.

She knew that Draco had wanted to use it nearly immediately. He'd even confided his thoughts to her. Something that had surprised and pleased her to no end.

 _We have to be quick with the hunt and the destruction. We can't give him time to realize we've figured him out._

She agreed, of course she did, but at the time Draco had been in no state to be attempting the destruction of a dark object. In general, they all needed the break from the somber feel that had gripped all of Grimmauld Place.

She could understand Molly Weasley then. They had need some light amidst all the dark.

She spotted Harry, glamour still firmly in place, chatting with Krum in between stealing glances at one fiery red haired beauty.

Harry was such a fool with girls, especially when it came to Ginny Weasley.

She let out a breath, edging closer to the edges of the tent before her eyes found and lingered at a figure sitting near the makeshift bar.

Draco.

He'd protested coming at all, but Sirius had been quick to shut him down.

He didn't want him gone too long from his sight, and the sentiment was obvious without being stated.

This curse...it was draining him fast, much faster than any of them were comfortable with.

She found herself moving toward him, examining his disguise.

He'd done his own glamour, charming his hair dark enough to match Sirius's normal color and filling his eyes with much more blue than gray.

Despite the changes he made to his jaw and cheekbones...well… she could still see him.

She didn't know how to feel about that.

She sat beside him with a quiet greeting before she let her eyes drift out toward the dance floor that was filled with pairs.

In the center, Fleur was practically shining as she gracefully moved in sync with Bill.

She didn't realize the frown was on her face until Draco commented on it.

"Careful Granger, your judgement is showing."

She scoffed as she raced through at least one possible argument to say in response to his accusation.

Draco wasn't having it.

"So why don't you like her?" He said turning fully to face her before inclining his head in the girl's direction.

Hermione bit her lip before sagging in defeat.

Really she had no hope in lying to someone who was as skilled at it as Draco.

"I don't dislike her." She insisted already feeling her frown return, "I just don't see how someone can be so preoccupied with how things look and what not."

She winced at her end. She'd made the other woman out to be a shallow airhead.

Draco's lips inched into a small smirk.

"Not always. She's actually quite clever. She must have been anyway," Draco shrugged his shoulders, "To qualify for the tournament."

She said nothing letting her eyes move away from the bride and groom and to the other couples in turn.

"That's disappointing, I thought you'd arg-"

"Why don't you dance?" She asked then interrupting him, leaning her head in the direction of a rather pretty girl who'd been eyeing Draco from her seat across the room.

Draco shrugged not even sparing a glance at the girl she'd gestured to.

"You can though. I remember from the Yule Ball." she continued hoping to distance the conversation as far away as possible for her rather confusing dislike for the bride.

Draco gave her an amused smile, his brow lifting to taunt her over that small admission on her part.

She'd watched him then.

It had been hard not too. He'd moved with such grace on the floor along with Pansy. It had rivaled the great care she and Viktor had had while twirling around the hall.

He shook his head, eyeing her. "You really are strange Granger." he murmured before shockingly reaching over and clasping her hand to tug her with him to the dance floor.

"What are you doing?" She hissed softly, mindful of the few lingering looks they were drawing.

"I'm going to show you everything you think you don't have."

She didn't have a chance to respond before he drew her up into position and began moving them perfectly in beat with the music.

"I hope someone's at least told you how good you look tonight." Draco said before spinning her.

She blushed as she twirled back to face him.

"A few." she murmured.

It felt different coming from him though. While they were friends, they weren't friends in the sense that she was friends with Harry or Ron or the rest of the Weasleys. No. Draco wouldn't offer her a compliment because he felt some sense of obligation to say it. Not that her friends would either. She did look good, she'd put in the effort to, and she'd taken their compliments in turn without truly lingering on them or taking them to heart.

Yet, with Draco, she knew he wouldn't offer empty compliments unless he actually meant them, and it was for that reason her cheeks remained slightly flushed.

The smirk stayed on Draco's face even as he shifted the conversation.

"So you noticed me at the Yule Ball."

She bit her lip, sheepishly. She'd hoped he'd neglect that tiny slip of information.

"It's just. You danced so well."

He snorted.

"I should hope so. What with all the balls my parents threw and the lessons that went with them."

She noticed how he'd seamlessly referred to the Malfoys as his parents, a habit as well as a truth the longer she thought about it.

"So why sulk in the corner instead of put all those lessons to good use?" she asked lightly.

He tilted his head to examine her, and for a moment, she thought he was about to argue with her before thinking better of it.

"Had no reason too." he said instead, twirling her once more as the music seemed to grow softer and softer.

"Pity." She murmured in reply as they both came to a stop as the music finally faded away.

He smirked slightly tearing his eyes momentarily from hers at something off in the distance that had caught his eye.

She turned to find Xenophilius Lovegood standing off to the side. She frowned unsure what Draco had spotted until her eyes came to rest at the shining chain around his neck.

That same symbol.

Some sort of recognition flashed in Draco's eyes before he shook his head.

"Draco…"

"Enjoy your next dance Granger." He said softly spinning her.

She protested only now hearing the music creeping back to fill the tent. She whirled to try and find him before a pair of arms came around her.

Startled, she looked up to find a familiar set of blue looking questioningly down at her.

Ron.

She let out a huff, letting Ron clumsily lead her through the next dance all the while looking for Draco within the crowd.

* * *

He slipped passed another couple in his hasty exit. That symbol he knew, and it was driving him mad that he couldn't quite place it.

He winced at the pang against his temple.

His mind was racing and he had no hope of peace stuck in this loud, hot, and stuffy tent that was beginning to aggravate his sinuses.

He neared the flap of the tent only to feel a hand circle around his right arm and pull him to a stop.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

He groaned, turning to face Tonks.

"You are not supposed to be outside of the tent. Rules." She continued with a frown marring her face.

He let out a breath that turned into a soft cough.

He thought how best it would be to respond. He wanted to argue and somewhat petulantly remind Tonks, his father, and Remus that he was in fact of age and didn't need rules or babysitting, but he doubted that would get his point across.

He just wanted some time to think. To breathe.

He sniffed and ran his knuckles under his irritated nose.

"Please." he said softly. "I just want some fresh air this," He gestured toward the crowded area of the tent, "isn't helping."

Tonks eyed him before he saw a bit of pity creep into her clear and bright eyes.

Gods he hated the sight.

He reminded himself that he was lying by telling the truth to comfort his injured pride, but really with the way his head was pounding and his body aching, he didn't know where either began or ended.

"Alright but don't go far and don't stay out too long. The cold's not good for you either."

He nodded for once incredibly grateful for his shit lungs.

He turned and quickly resumed his exit not pausing to breathe until he felt the cool air hit his face.

He let out a sigh not surprised in the least when it was followed by a short string of soft coughs.

He rubbed at his temples mentally chiding himself for not taking anything before coming. In truth, it hadn't crossed his mind between the other things he was worried about along with his determination to block out the entire obligation.

Absently, his hand reached to rub at his left arm, working at the stiffness. He'd numbed it well by dabbing on more than the normal amount of the salve on it. The soreness from the fading numbness was beginning to peek through though hence the resistance his muscles felt at the slightest movement.

He closed his eyes the symbol around Lovegood's neck burned into his mind.

He knew it. It was right there at the edges of his mind, but somehow he was unable to reach the thought.

Frustrated, he paused along the tent scuffing one of his shoes into the ground. He drew his folded arms tighter to his chest. The seasons were beginning to change, and while it wasn't so much as outright brisk as the world prepared for what was surely going to be a quick and cool fall, the temperatures were dipping much lower than normal once the sun faded from sight.

He huffed, seeing wisps of his breath condense briefly before his face.

He was slipping. He could feel it. Perhaps Snape was right to rush that meeting with a Healer. He was losing his mind in more ways than one...especially that dance.

Merlin.

He was barely able to acknowledge their more amicable relations and he'd just gone and voluntarily danced with the girl.

It hadn't been unpleasant, and that was probably the fact that disturbed him the most. He'd just felt uncharacteristically sympathetic to her when she'd shown that brief bit of insecurity staring down Fleur.

He could read her easy.

The part Veela was beautiful and bright, a package deal really if he allowed himself time to ponder such things.

He'd just never figured that Hermione would see such a thing and think herself lacking. He'd certainly never taken her as the type to fret over such things, but at the end of the day, she was a person, a girl, and every person had their faults and fears.

She was a fool for it though.

She wasn't conventionally pretty and certainly not the obvious gorgeous that he'd grown up with both in pureblood society and later on in Slytherin. No. With Hermione one had to take in all her features, truly examine every bit of her to fully realize her own rather unique allure. Then if one took in her own passionate qualities, the bits of her on the inside, she shone.

She was beautiful, and it made him uncomfortable to think. Not because it was true, but rather that he'd noticed and wanted to at least bring her attention to it. To comfort her in his own broken way.

He bit his lip, sniffing as he rubbed his nose with his wrist.

What was he doing getting involved in such things?

"Gods Draco what is wrong with you?" he muttered.

* * *

Ron didn't bug her about her dance with Draco, perhaps he was merely trying to hold in his temper while amongst so many of his relatives, but she was grateful for it all the same.

She wasn't sure she could explain it herself, that slight dizziness she'd had even when they weren't spinning.

He knew her. Merlin knew how, but he seemed to understand how she thought and that was a strange thing to think.

Though, logically she knew it wasn't just her (Draco seemed adept at reading people in general), but no one, no one, had ever been able to figure her out so quickly and easily. She had started her friendship with Draco on impulse, but now she was wondering if perhaps it was a lucky coincidence that she'd formed it all the same.

She'd never had a friend who even remotely understood how her mind worked.

She felt hot all of a sudden within the tent and quietly and carefully made her way toward the cool outside.

She stayed near the flap, rubbing her hands up her arms before pulling her wand and silently casting a warming charm. Her eyes drifted up at the lingering bits of sun that were clinging to the sky.

It really was a beautiful day.

She heard someone shuffle around the corner of the tent before a muffled sneeze followed.

She cocked her head before taking a deep breath and rounded the corner.

He was leaning casually against the tent with his arms folded and pressed close to his chest.

She could see him shivering slightly, and she bit back the impulse to chide him for not at least casting a warming charm.

She took out her wand once more and cast one herself before pocketing it again.

"You'll catch another cold if you aren't careful." she said softly coming to stand beside him.

He shrugged.

"Haven't really shook this one."

She didn't know what to say to that so she kept silent and mimicked his position by letting her back rest against the frame of the tent.

"What are you doing out here?" She didn't bother with reminding him that he wasn't supposed to leave the tent. She doubted the idea of rules really mattered to him anyway. He'd broken them often enough.

He shrugged, contemplating his answer before he spoke.

"Couldn't really breathe in there." He ran a hand through his hair in slight frustration, "I should have taken something before we came."

She wrung her hands together as a comfortable silence settled between them. She kept glancing at him trying in vain to glimpse some sort of crack in him.

"Why did you do it?" She spoke then, biting her tongue, "Why'd you ask me to dance?"

He looked slightly amused.

"Did you not enjoy it?"

She shook her head frowning, "That's not the point."

He took her hands in his and suddenly she was back in that same dance position.

"You think entirely too much about such a simple thing." he said softly near her ear.

They swayed slightly in place.

"Draco." she said softly as his face grew closer and closer. "What are we doing?"

He closed his eyes tiredly, letting his forehead rest on hers.

"I don't know." He said quietly.

She closed her eyes too, fully immersed in his scent. He was a mix, a continued dichotomy, light like fresh air and then undeniably distinct in a blend of spice and pine.

She got lost in it.

She felt him stiffen, and was about to ask him what was wrong when she heard a crash from inside the tent.

She turned, wide eyed to Draco who had already drawn his wand.

Shit.

They both dashed back into the tent to find the place in chaos. Black robes. Red. Green. Spells were being shot from seemingly every corner of the room.

She dodged a stray spell searching frantically for Harry and Ron. They had to get out of here. They had to get out fast.

She lost Draco in the crowd, and when she saw him again his glamour had begun to slip as he fought viciously against one particular Death Eater.

She'd never seen him in action, and she was stunned at the sight. He was like a fiend, but incredibly graceful where a fiend, she imagined, would be brute in his attacks.

They were shouting at each other, not particularly shooting spells at one another for a a brief moment. She reluctantly tore her eyes away and found Harry and Ron alternating between running and fighting. Quickly, she turned and grabbed them both by the arm before they took off running.

She was focusing on one goal at a time.

She needed to get Draco, and then they would all apparate out.

Harry seemed to pick up on what she was doing and immediately shot spells at everyone blocking their path. She could here Ron shouting that he had to help his family, but she didn't have time to respond before they'd come up on Draco and grabbed him by the shirt before she spun and the chaos faded around her.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. You guys are all gems (especially to those of you who pretty much left a review on every chapter!) To the guest reviewer who mentioned my description on Hermione's looks. I think maybe I didn't articulate clearly what I meant by my description. To me, I consider conventional beauty as it's been defined in psychology (facial symmetry, proportionality, and placement of features), of course there are exceptions to this. Some famous examples that come to mind are Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis. To me, Hermione is alluring, but not outright so. Rather, her physical characteristics are often overshadowed by the perceptions surrounding her (bookworm, etc) What I was trying to say is that one had to notice her to realize it completely, rather than a cursory glance in her general direction. I hope this makes my point clearer.

As always. Every review = love.

Disclaimer: Quotes in this chapter from Huxley's Brave New World. I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"What the fuck Granger." Draco exclaimed, stumbling from the jolt of the apparation.

She bit her lip before squaring her shoulders to stare him down. "We had to get out of there. I just did what was necessary."

He could feel his headache throb, worsening by the second. He took a breath, willing the anger from him. He wasn't truly frustrated at her. She'd acted as he would have. A little warning though would have been nice.

It also might have been nice to not see the faces of people he'd left in what had seemed a lifetime ago.

He winced at the memories of Death Eater meetings and revels before opening his eyes and giving her a slight nod.

She bit her lip, her face softening as she looked over Potter and Weasley, the latter loudly complaining that they had to go back.

He ignored their bickering and instead began looking around to see just where Hermione had dropped them. It looked to be a back alley way that led out to a rather populated street that he did not recognize. He caught a stray group of people walk by and at the look of their clothing his heart sank. Muggle.

"We have to think about our next step, if other places are compromised…." he heard Hermione say.

He bit his lip and transfigured his clothes. Hermione seeing his movements was quick to follow doing first herself and then the duo beside her.

He knew what their next step would be.

They had to get back to Grimmauld.

It was safe and secure, and frankly no matter what supplies he suspected Granger may have they wouldn't last long in this state.

Grimly, he followed Hermione as she led them to a stray coffee shop. His arm flared and he bit back the slight moan at the pang of it.

At least, he definitely wouldn't last long and that dramatically decreased the rest of their odds.

They sat down and he resisted the urge to snap at Weasley to keep from fidgeting. His nervousness and fear was palatable and that was going to attract attention they did not need.

"We need to go back to Grimmauld Place. The faster the better." He whispered, letting his eyes drift around them, looking for anything that seemed distinctly less muggle.

He was growing more and more uneasy the longer they lingered here. While he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, he felt like they were being watched or at the very least being followed.

"They bloody found us at the Burrow. How secure is Grimmauld?" Weasley hissed, his eyes frantically darting around to his friends.

"Grimmauld is safe." He argued back.

"Ron." Hermione interrupted the red-head, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Grimmauld is probably the best option we have. Some of the others may already have headed there when things…" She bit her lip, seemingly unable to continue.

He let out a breath, unreasonably pleased to have at least one person on his side. He eyed Potter, who seemed to be slightly dazed and lost within his own thoughts.

Wearily, the boy blinked and focused on him.

"How do you know Grimmauld is safe, besides the fidelius…" He began.

He bit the inside of his cheek, wondering how much he really should say at the moment. Technically he hadn't broken any of Sirius's house rules when he'd done it.

But he hadn't consulted anyone before he had either.

He scratched the back of his neck, again getting the eerie sensation they were being watched.

"I re-did the wards at Grimmauld. A couple of old ones that had been temporarily removed and a few of my own choice." He finally admitted.

He saw all three of their jaws drop at his admission.

"Does Sirius know -"

"No." He snapped at Potter, "And I was well within my rights to do it. The house's defenses were atrocious and as head of house I didn't have to consult -" He stopped abruptly and threw up a shield as two spells were thrown at them.

"What the bloody -" He heard Weasley exclaim as they were thrown into the midst of chaos once more. The muggles were shouting and quickly filing out of the cafe as the lot of them stood throwing spells back at their two attackers.

 _They don't fight with strategy._

The realization was troubling, but not unexpected. He could take some advantage from their fierce retaliation though. He moved to the side, leaving the trio to continue throwing odd spells toward the hooded figures, one of which managed to stun the masked Death Eater to the right.

Now that wouldn't do.

If he was getting attacked, he wanted to know by whom and for what purpose. This was a golden opportunity for information, but it seemed he was the only one who realized it.

He disillusioned himself and dashed across the shop, using the three's own fighting as a distraction to creep up the lone Death Eater that remained.

He jumped the other, pulling him to him with an arm around his neck and his wand trained to his temple.

"Incarcerous."

He shoved the man down to his knees, pocketing his wand that was just teetering in his grasp through the ropes.

He turned around him and after a moment sent a partial stunner to his legs as a precaution.

He could feel the other's shock at his display, but he ignored it as he grew lost in the motions.

This he knew.

He tore the mask away and scowled at the face that greeted him.

Rowle.

"And I thought I'd get a little bit more time without seeing your fucking face again." He muttered spitefully as the other glared at him.

He glanced behind him to see that the trio was closing in. He saw, with dismay, that Potter's glamour had faded.

A memory swipe after then.

Hermione shot him a questioning look, but he shook his head as he turned back to Rowle.

The man was examining him intently and after a moment recognition filled his eyes.

"Fucking Malfoy. You're supposed to be dead."

He shrugged, toying with his wand.

"So they say."

Rowle's face twisted into a wicked grin as he began circling him. He strained his neck to follow Draco's movements.

"You won't get anything out of me, you weak blood traitor. Tell me, does your whore mother and bastard father know their only son -"

He didn't even think before he slammed his foot down hard on the other's ankle, actually relishing the sound of the bone snapping.

He braced the man by the shoulder, who to his credit only released a moan at the intense wave of pain that was no doubt shooting through his body.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are Rowle, but for someone who likes to run their mouth you never have much to say."

He turned back around to face the man.

"Have you earned that seat at the inner circle yet?" He hummed, keeping his wand drilled into the man's neck. "Because this fucking blood traitor had it, and I didn't even receive the mark."

Rowle growled. "You were riding on daddy's legacy like always Malfoy." He spat, "On your own you're nothing but a weak and pathetic…"

He kneed Rowle in the gut, letting him double over against him.

"I think we both know that's not true." he said, letting his voice drop. He could feel the anger that had been fueling him ebb, and instead be replaced by his familiar cool fury.

He couldn't even feel the throb of his arm while he was like this.

"The Dark Lord wanted me, and we both know he only wants things that he can use." He said lowly.

"You were a punishment for Lucius...just a boy." Rowle stammered, growing more uneasy at this new approach.

He hummed in response, leaning in closer.

"I think we both know I'm more than that." he whispered near the man's ear before letting a shock go from his wand and through the other's body.

Rowle whimpered.

"Why'd you follow us?"

Rowle glared at him.

He moved his wand from Rowle's neck up to his forehead.

"Know I gave you the easy option, and you turned it down." He said keeping his voice soft.

Rowle's eyes widened just as the word left his lips.

"Legilimens."

He sifted through the memories easily after he crossed the rather weak Occlumency shields in Rowle's mind; not even bothering to be gentle as he did. As he suspected, the pair of Death Eaters had been given orders to track and capture Potter alive. Anyone else was disposable.

Nothing he couldn't piece together himself.

He found a few patrol schedules and basic outlines for planned attacks and programs, but nothing major.

Again, it was likely because Rowle wasn't privy to them.

He pushed deeper for mentions of Bellatrix and her movements, but nothing.

Frustrated at the lack of gains, he pulled out abruptly and made out Rowle whimpering beneath his wand.

He shoved the man off him with a bored look plastered on his face.

"You...You." Rowle swallowed thickly, "You weren't like this-"

"Yes, well." He interrupted, "What's that saying never wake the sleeping dragon." He let a cruel grin spread across his face.

He wasted no time after that before he obliviated Rowle and moved swiftly over to the stunned Death Eater and did the same. His migraine was returning and frankly they'd wasted enough time.

He shoved his wand into his pocket and turned to find the trio silently staring at him.

Potter looked shocked. Weasley uneasy. And Granger...Hermione, she seemed somewhere between disapproval and impressed.

He didn't even wait for them as he stalked out the cafe, calling over his shoulder.

"Grimmauld now."

* * *

Hermione blinked still rather stunned at all the events that had seemed to transpire in but a blink of an eye.

She quickly tugged at Harry and Ron's arms before she dashed out of the shop and after Draco.

She'd known he was good, but she hadn't been expecting that.

He was leaning at the corner of one of the buildings that had marked the alleyway they'd originally appeared in, his head cradled in one of his hands.

He looked up at her approach and she slowly stopped a foot from him.

"Draco," She paused unsure how to continue, "How did you…"

He shrugged coming off the wall to stand straight.

"You have to fight with a purpose in a duel." He said flatly, before his hand came to rub at his temple.

She tilted her head to look him over, wondering if that was all he was going to offer as explanation. In truth, it wasn't even that. He'd offered her advice, an observation. It was frustrating really, when she'd only meant to ask a simple question.

One he obviously didn't want to answer.

He grimaced before frowning as his gaze settled over her shoulder at Harry and Ron. Both seemed unsure on what to do. They eyed each other and then her, before Harry stepped forward slightly.

"What was that?"

Draco looked tiredly at the other, leaning one arm against the brick of the building. She cast her eyes over his form, and had she not been focused, she wouldn't have noticed the slight tremor in his limbs.

He'd spent what little reserves he had.

If anything, she was surprised he'd held for this long.

"Trust me Potter, it wasn't for you."

Harry clenched his jaw, and some sort of understanding seemed to pass between the two of them before Harry jut his hand out muttering about apparating out. Ron was quick to grasp it.

Draco; though, made no move to grasp the outstretched hand. Although, she wasn't sure if it was just because Harry had held his hand out or because he seemed somewhat withdrawn and shaking, falling into the puzzling mind of his.

Hesitantly, she stepped closer to Draco and took his hand into hers.

She turned to him, nibbling her lip.

"You can lean on me if you need." she whispered knowing he'd hate the offer, but hoping he'd accept it all the same. Then she reached out and took hold of Harry's hand.

She didn't hear his answer before the world spun, and they were once again in the foyer of Grimmauld Place.

They'd barely gotten their bearings before the clambering of footsteps sounded and they were crowded by the group of adults who'd no doubt been anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Remus quickly scanned them over and sagged with visibly relief when he found they were all accounted for. "We were worried when you all didn't immediately show here." Remus began.

"We've been waiting for ages." Sirius interrupted glancing at all of them as though searching for injuries. His gaze lingered on Draco, who, with a start she realized, was still standing quite close to her.

She felt her cheeks heat before stepping slightly away to put a bit more space between them. She didn't go far though, eyeing the shake in the hands he was so quick to bury in his pockets.

Her eyes drifted away from Draco before settling on Tonks, who was frowning slightly at all of them.

"What kept you all?" She asked slowly.

Now that was the question.

It seemed to spark an outburst of everyone talking at once.

" 'Mione grabbed us all and apparated us to some Muggle street." Ron began, "Then these Death Eaters showed."

"Death Eaters followed you and you didn't immediately apparate back here?" Sirius exclaimed.

She practically heard Draco's wince at his father's outburst.

Ron quieted at the outburst, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for some sort of outburst.

"Oh fuck." Draco muttered before clearing his throat to speak louder, "It's my fault really."

She whirled around to face him. Out of the corner of her eye, she made out Ron and Harry do the same.

"I wanted to see who was after us, so I bound one and tried to see what information I could get out of them."

She bit her lip, stealing a glance at each of the adults in the room that all seemed to be alternating between shock, distress, and full out fury.

"You tried to interrogate a Death Eater on your own?" Sirius said his voice tight as he clenched his jaw.

"Not tried. Did. Rowle may not be the most important Death Eater, but he's nosy as fuck. I figured I'd try to get something from him," Draco said, frowning as he grumbled the last bit to himself, "But it turned out to be a waste of time."

The room grew quiet again as they all seemed to focus on Sirius's stony face and Draco's defiant one.

Remus cleared his throat.

"The important thing is that you all made it back and…"

"That is definitely not the important thing." Sirius exclaimed turning to Draco.

"You know to come back here-"

"It's not a big deal." Draco interrupted, rubbing his temple. "They distracted him, and I bound him. I've done more difficult things." He let out a breath.

Sirius looked like he begged to differ when his anger quickly deflated at the shudder that visibly went through Draco.

"Can we please not shout anymore." Draco said softly, bringing both his hands up to his temples.

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them.

"I'm not going to apologize. I did what anyone else would have done." He took a breath, letting his eyes roam from Tonks to Remus and ending on Sirius. "I'm tired of all of you treating me like a child you don't trust to do anything. It's downright insulting."

He dropped his hands to cross his arms and press them closer to his chest.

"So maybe I overdo it." he said lowly, "Maybe I overdid it this time."

She heard his breath hitch as he continued.

"But all of you seem to forget that I've trained and bled to get here, same as you."

At that, Draco turned and without giving anyone a moment to react he was out the room where his footsteps could be heard going gently up the steps.

She could hear Remus saying it would be best to leave him alone for the time being before taking Harry and Ron out to the kitchen.

Probably to ask them what happened and give them news on the Weasleys.

She sighed before she reluctantly tore herself away from the room, unsure where to go.

There hadn't been shouting, so why did it feel like every word was suddenly a loud echo in her ears?

Unconsciously, she was about to reach the staircase when she heard Tonks call out her name. She turned and made out the Auror rushing and then stopping when she came near her.

She bit her lip as Tonks studied her for a moment.

"I need you tell me exactly what happened."

Hermione let out a tired sigh before she launched into a brief recount, glossing quickly over the parts about Draco and her being outside of the tent together. Though, it seemed that Tonks didn't miss her slight blush as she rushed passed that part of her explanation. To her credit, Tonks didn't even crack a smile at the admission, though her eyes were bright in amusement at her embarrassment.

When she came to Draco's interrogation, Tonks seemed impressed but altogether not surprised. It seemed at least someone thought Draco was more than capable of handling himself. He'd said it himself. He'd been trained.

More than they had at any rate.

"It drained him though." Hermione said softly at the end of her tale, "I'm pretty sure he's exhausted."

Tonks nodded, thinking to herself. "I don't doubt it."

She dug into her pocket and pulled out a vial and handed it to Hermione.

"It's a strengthening potion. I want you to see if he'll take it."

She pocketed it quickly.

"I convinced the Healer to come tomorrow." Tonks continued slowly, "I don't think we should wait any longer. Everything I've read…"

"I know." She said softly, "It's just the retaliation spells."

"We can handle them." Tonks said confidently, though with a slightly weary expression on her face, "I'm more concerned with us waiting too long, and Draco not having the strength to recover properly."

She stilled. She hadn't even thought of that.

It was a valid concern. The longer they waited, the weaker he would get and that could prove both difficult, dangerous, and perhaps impossible for him to recover from. As it stood, even if they were successful, they ran the risk of insuring that Draco would continue to suffer lingering changes brought on by the curse to begin with.

She dug her hand into her pocket and grasped the tiny vial so hard it was a wonder it didn't crack.

"So we can't wait any longer." She murmured.

Tonks nodded.

"The Weasleys are being watched, but the second that he can get away Bill said he'd be here."

She nodded numbly, turning to continue up the steps.

"Hermione."

She turned.

Tonks gave her a thin smile.

"You're a good friend to my cousin, even if he hasn't always deserved it."

She returned the smile, unsure and frankly unable to say anything in return before she resumed her step up the staircase.

* * *

Without even stopping to debate it, she turned onto the second floor and headed for that familiar room fifth from the stairs.

He was laying on the bed, shoes kicked off seemingly in anger to the side. He didn't acknowledge her as she tentatively took a step into the room.

Her eyes drifted around, and she made out a roll of gauze at his bedside.

He must have changed the bandages.

She bit her lip before coming even closer and before she could lose her nerve she sat on the edge of the bed.

Draco shifted to his side, still not speaking and barely giving her more than a glance.

She let out a breath and let her hands finger and trace his soft sheets.

She knew he was frustrated at being treated as incapable, young, and fragile when he was anything but, and it was obvious that Sirius's extreme paranoia and protective nature was preventing him from seeing Draco as he was. He was extremely capable, and all he'd done since she'd been there was work to prove that point. If anything, the situation could be seen as a huge slap in the face.

Like everything he'd done wouldn't be enough even if that wasn't Sirius's intention.

"Those who meant well behaved in the same way as those who meant badly." She finally said.

Draco blinked up at her, obviously recognizing the quote. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that that particular novel held a special place in his heart. It felt like something sacred, and for a moment, she felt guilty for having used its words to get his attention.

It felt like a violation.

He bit the inside of his cheek before he patted the space on the mattress silently asking her to join him.

She contained her grin as she kicked off her shoes and stretched out across the bed, remaining somewhat upright by leaning against the headboard.

He gave her a thin half smile. "Isn't there something in living dangerously?" he quoted back to her.

She smiled slightly in return. "There would be if that's all you were doing."

He shrugged his free shoulder, falling deeply into thought. He shook his head in frustration before turning to lie flat on his back.

"He treats me like I'm a child." He said with a frown.

"We all technically are." she said softly.

He made a noise that sounded somewhere between a concession and a disagreement.

"To them at least, but…" she continued, biting her lip, "Sometimes I feel like the oldest child alive."

She felt the bed shift as Draco turned once more to face her. Her eyes dropped, and she caught sight of understanding hidden between those gray seas. She became entranced at the sight of him. Turning her head, she caught the sound of his breathing, shallow breaths that were tinged with a soft wheeze. They were steady and strong though. She found some comfort in that.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

He bit his lip, and for a moment he looked incredibly unsure how best to respond. Like he was upset by the options he had.

"I've been better."

She nodded in understanding before she found herself slipping down to join him flat on the mattress.

"You know." Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, "You don't have to pretend with me...with all your shields and walls."

He studied her. "And be me." he sighed bringing one hand up to rub his nose, "And just who is that?"

"Draco." She said, "Just Draco." Before she could even think it, she'd reached out and combed through his messed fringe. She froze, her fingers still pressed lightly to the edges of his brow. She was about to withdraw when he reached up and took her hand into his, threading their fingers together.

"You're doing something to me Hermione." he said dropping his eyes to look at their entwined hands. "Something you shouldn't be doing to someone dying."

She felt a pang in her chest at his words.

"You're not going to die Draco. Not now, not because of…" She hesitantly reached with her free hand to brush her fingers at his left wrist. _Not because of this._

"And how do you know?" He murmured, closing his eyes tiredly for a moment before opening them to lock with hers.

"Call it a strong hunch." She breathed.

He laughed silently. "I never thought you put much stock in that kind of thing."

"This time's an exception."

He grew silently, and she realized his thumb had begun to draw circles on the back of her hand.

"You'd make a wager on that?" He asked softly.

She nodded.

"Alright." he smirked, "What would you wager?"

She grew bold then, tightening her grip on his hand. "I'll tell you what it...this something could be."

He smiled then, widely in a way that gave off sad disbelief and genuine happiness all rolled into one.

"I don't think you know how to make a wager."

"I do." she argued back, somewhat shocked at the easy comfort between them, but not surprised when she took into account the race of her heart. While it was an odd thought to think, it wasn't one she felt uncomfortable about. There was just something about Draco that drew her in and made her want to jump head first.

She'd thought herself mad for feeling it, but right now, with her small hand held securely in his it felt like it made the most sense in the world.

"I've said it before, but you really are odd Hermione." he said bringing their entwined hands up and pressing a light kiss to the back of hers.

She shivered at the motion and knew without looking that Draco was smirking.

"Now if I'm going to win." She said softly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the vial Tonks had given her, "You're going to have to do your part."

He eyed the vial wearily before reaching over and taking it from her. He examined it before he sat up slightly and drank the contents, depositing the empty container on his bedside.

She pulled him back down and ran a hand through his hair once more as he hummed in appreciation.

He closed his eyes tiredly nestling into his pillow. She continued playing with the soft wisps of his fringe as she felt his breath even against her skin, signaling he was nodding off.

"You really do believe it, don't you?" he said, his voice dragging and full of sleep.

She smiled slightly, even though she knew he couldn't see it as her response. Somehow, she thought he already knew the answer to that.

"And you will too."

Even if she had to shake him until it made it through his thick skull.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed. I'm giddy with happiness that you all like my development for Draco. Keep them coming. I loved reading through all of them!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

* * *

Hermione woke to the feel of something warm pressed against her side and faint traces of light dancing off her skin. She opened her eyes, reluctant to leave the grips of sleep.

She glanced to her side, stiffening before relaxing at the sight she met.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep still here, but as the time had passed and Draco had relaxed to the point of slipping into dreams, it had been all too easy to join him.

In many ways, she was glad she had. He'd been restless. Multiple times, she'd woken to him shifting in distress at some part of his dreams. She'd shake him to the point that he would seem to wake before letting him fall back asleep, preventing whatever nightmare he'd been about to have from progressing.

He's slept straight through the last bit of the night though, which was a good thing for the both of them.

She let out a soft sigh, letting her eyes wander over him.

He'd pressed up closer to her, unconsciously seeking her warmth sometime during the night, resting his head near her shoulder. She'd never been this close to him before, especially not in a way where he was vulnerable or relaxed.

It was certainly a sight to behold.

She studied his face, marveling in each carved edge. though frowning at the dark circles that persisted beneath his eyes despite all the rest his body kept demanding.

He truly was beautiful. Beautiful in a way artists would envy. He'd grown into his features, softening the transitions he'd gone through since she'd known him from chubby faced child, to pointed, and eventually to this. The changes had been noted at the time. It had been hard to miss when he had returned fifth year towering over where before they'd been so close in height.

This close though, she could see the parts she'd missed simply by observing him from afar. He had scars, even on his face. One that came from the underside of his jaw and touched his neck that was so faint you had to be inches from it to notice. Another small scar about a few millimeters in length that rested on the soft skin near the corner of his left eye. The one she was currently examining though sat near the side of his nose that had healed so close to the original surrounding skin that she'd nearly missed it in her first appraisal.

She had a feeling she knew where this one came from.

Third year.

When she'd punched him.

She shook her head, resisting the urge to reach out to touch it. He stirred easily, and touching his face was bound to wake him up completely, and really he needed the rest.

Especially for today.

She eased slowly out of the bed and tiptoed to the door, lingering as she leaned on it to watch him breathe. It made her think she needed to be convinced that he still was.

She bit her lip before stepping out into the hall, closing the door softly behind her.

She chided herself at the melancholy edge that had seemed to slowly creep over her as she walked further and further from his room. She and Tonks had prepared, Bill was experienced, and there would be a healer. He would be alright.

Or so she hoped and continued to do so as she stopped by her room to shower and change before wandering down to the kitchens.

Kreacher dipped his head in greeting when she entered, but otherwise didn't acknowledge her at all.

Well, that was improvement at least.

She pulled her wand and was about to light a fire beneath the kettle when Kreacher snapped his fingers and her mug filled. She smiled slightly. Now that was real change.

She wandered through the kitchens, unsure really how to occupy her time until the rest of the house woke. Idly glancing through the cabinets, she wondered if Tonks had more of that strengthening potion to give Draco.

Perhaps, she could brew some.

She continued toward the back pantry when Kreacher stopped her.

"Is Miss be looking for something?" He asked watching her carefully.

She bit her lip.

"Well I was just wondering where all the potion ingredients are." She said and at Kreacher's unimpressed expression, she quickly continued, "I was thinking of brewing something for Draco."

At that, the elf brightened considerably before calling for her to follow him to a rather worn looking door near the pantry that she knew from prior experience led to the cellar.

"Master Draco does his brewings down there's Miss Granger." Kreacher said with a smile, obviously pleased that she was doing something for his master.

She thanked the elf, suddenly more curious at exploring Draco's workplace than brewing for the moment. She stalked carefully down the steps, noting that it didn't seem nearly as dusty down here as it had been the last time she and the boys had explored the house.

Though, that had been years ago, and if Kreacher was to be believed, Draco worked down here. It wasn't as though he'd continuously work in an area he couldn't breathe in.

True to Kreacher's word, there was a potions lab setup. A rather admirable one at that. The vials were practically gleaming, along with the various cauldrons, and a rather large portion of the opposing wall housed long shelves of carefully organized potion ingredients.

It was quite amazing really.

She ran her fingers along the workbenches admiring the polished wood before she caught sight of pages of notes and an opened potions text.

Curious, she flipped through the book not particularly recognizing the edition. Her eyes trailed the notes made between the margins and she marveled at the creativity suggested by the modifications.

Was this really Draco's?

She confirmed the answer a few pages later when she reached the compounding section of the text that discussed creams and salves. One particular page was deeply creased, as though it had been turned to multiple times. She read through the page of notes that detailed a variety of alterations, her own mind putting together a theoretical idea of what such changes would yield.

It was his salve formula.

Brilliant.

She marveled at the substitutions he'd suggested all in hopes of working on numbing and providing relief against inflammation. Truly, if he wished it, he could probably tweak the formula a bit to make the consistency of it smoother and sell it as a treatment for neuropathy.

Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from Draco's notes and continued exploring his stock of ingredients and turning the corner found his stock of ready made potions.

Truly, when had he managed to do this all?

Her eyes zeroed in on a vial of strengthening potion, and she took it without hesitation, stowing it in her pocket. Seeing at least 10 more vials of it, she decided against brewing a whole cauldron more of the potion.

There was no point in brewing so much when they may not even use it.

She sighed, taking one last glance at the beautiful potions lab before she trekked back up the cellar steps toward the kitchen.

She'd just stepped out to the kitchen when she felt another presence join her.

"I see you've found Draco's lab."

She squared her shoulders and looked up at her former potions professor.

"I did."

Snape raised a brow, looking at her from head to toe. She swore, for a moment, that his lips had twisted into a slight smile before he turned and motioned for her to take a seat at the table.

"I expected to find Draco when I came in. He tends to wake quite early, but imagine my surprise at finding you instead."

She seemed to understand the question, and beneath his rather surly and harsh exterior she saw something in the professor that surprised though warmed her; concern. Concern that was obviously being directed at his godson.

She took the vial of strengthening potion from her pocket and placed it before her on the table.

"I'd actually planned to brew some of this to give him, but it seems he's brewed enough to last us quite a while."

Snape looked critically at the vial, the recognition quick to flash in his dark eyes before he looked up to her.

"I see. Tell me what else has changed in my godson's condition?"

She resisted the urge to smile at the image of Snape showing concern for another human being, but pushed it aside as she gave a brief rundown of her observations with little interruption from her professor.

When she was through, he was back to examining her, as though she too were some sort of potion that needed to be placed and understood for its possible effects.

"You've noticed quite a bit about my godson Miss Granger."

She felt her cheeks heat as she stammered, unsure how exactly to respond.

Snape's brow rose. "It must be that insufferable bleeding heart of yours."

She frowned, clenching her fist beneath the table.

"Pray you don't lose it in the coming months."

Her frown fell off her face as she slumped in her seat. Had Snape complimented her? In his roundabout way, he sort of had.

She bit her lip to keep the smile threatening to overtake her face from breaking free. She took a breath.

"I should hope not Professor." She said softly.

Snape gave her a nod before his eyes drifted to the door of the kitchen a minute before it swung open to reveal Sirius.

The men met each other's gaze before Sirius sighed heavily, pulling a bottle of firewhiskey from a cabinet and adding a shot into the cup of tea he'd poured himself.

He sat down, glancing somewhat tiredly at the steaming drink before him.

He looked resolute, but there was a certain aura around the man making him seem more grown and weary than she'd ever thought him capable.

But then, who wouldn't be in his position? Who wouldn't fear for the life of their son?

Sirius took a rather long swing of his tea before glancing between Snape and her.

"It's going to be a rather long day, isn't it?"

* * *

Draco shifted restlessly amongst his sheets. He'd been awake for ages now, falling to sleep for an hour at a time before he'd seemed to finally drift and stay within his dreams until the moment Hermione had slipped as quietly as she could from the bed and out his room.

He hadn't been that plagued by dreams in a long time, and he wondered if the memories had all been triggered based on the ambush that had happened the day before.

Though they were unpleasant, it was his memories turned nightmares that was bothering him, no, for the most part he was consumed with one single thought that was a shout amongst the jumble of others currently drifting around his head.

She'd stayed.

Part of him was incredibly embarrassed that she'd seen him that vulnerable, starting with the end of the day before and ending with the multiple times he'd woken her because of his nightmares.

He groaned, bringing his hands up to up to rub at his face, wincing at the slight pressure at his temples from yet another headache.

Pulling himself up, he fell to his bedside before plucking up the potion for his lungs and heading out of his room.

He didn't want to sleep, but for the moment, he didn't feel like joining the rest of the world yet.

His dreams...his memories were forcing shakes into his step and his breath was tight as he climbed the steps and pushed off a single door at the top floor, walking out onto the roof.

Somehow he managed his way to the ledge, leaning heavily as he took in the sight of the pale sky that was just beginning to wake with the sun.

His hand went up to the chain at his neck, pulling it out so that he could fiddle with the ring. He shivered slightly at the slight brush of wind, relishing the feel of it ruffling his hair. What he loved most about this house had to be this, this roof that rarely anyone ventured up to. He could breathe up here.

If anything, being up here didn't force the feel of suffocation that was becoming more and more familiar as he continued to plot and move and...weaken.

Because he _was_ weakening. The exhaustion that had forced him to bed nearly immediately after they'd returned was so uncharacteristic of him. He had stamina. He knew he did. All that training both amongst the Death Eaters and even Quidditch conditioning had left him in shape, even if it hadn't felt like it yesterday.

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back.

Had it only been yesterday that the Weasley had wed?

He smiled slightly to himself as he recalled Hermione's blush when he pulled her flush against him to dance. She really was an odd witch. She'd say one thing, while her body would betray another.

Open.

She was open. Something he'd rarely encountered through his years.

Thinking of the wedding brought his mind to that symbol he'd recognized hanging around Lovegood's neck. His eyes opened wide then as he finally pieced it together with a clear mind.

The Hallows.

Yet, they were a story...one, he admittedly had been drawn to as a child, especially when Narcissa had read it to him over and over at his insistence until he could read it himself.

She'd indulged his childish whims, and even fueled them when she confided that their line could trace their way up to the family it spoke of.

But what significance did that old crock have in drawing their attention back to it?

He was about to shove the sudden thought he had out of his head when he heard the door swing and then slam shut as another muttering body joined him on the roof.

Potter froze a ways before him, before whatever frustration that had gripped him fled away as he reluctantly came closer to him.

His brow rose as he stayed watching Potter intently.

He'd have thought the other boy would vacate the roof the minute he saw him, but he should know better. Potter was more meddlesome and curious than he ever gave him credit for.

As he drew nearer, he noticed the slight bruises beneath his eyes.

It must have been a restless night for all of them then.

He wasn't sure what prompted him to speak, but he felt that if he were to ever share some sense of kinship with Potter it would be over this. They both knew true horror. They both knew _him._

"Does he still come into your head?" He asked quietly, keeping his gaze out on the horizon his mother's ring still pressed into his palm.

Potter didn't say anything before letting out a long sigh.

"Yeah. You?"

"The memories are a bitch."

Potter snorted, and he made out the other running a hand through his hair tousling his messed tresses into a greater disaster than they already were.

"You should really work on blocking them out." Draco said.

 _Or we're all dead if he manages to do the reverse...again._

Harry growled, balling his fists at his sides.

"I try, and sometimes it works other times...he's just…"

"Yeah." Draco let out a breath, "I know."

It struck him then that this was probably the longest he'd ever gone with the boy wonder without hexing or shouting at him.

Potter turned and eyed him critically, and he felt the other's gaze settle on the chain before turning to look out at the horizon.

"You look like shit." Potter said then.

He snorted before coughing as his lungs fought the motion.

"Thanks Potter." He cleared his throat.

Potter gave him a thin smile. "Shouldn't you, I don't know be inside taking it easy. Today's kind of big for you."

He shrugged. He let his eyes drop to the ring before he tucked it back beneath his shirt.

"What happens will happen." He said lowly. He turned to Potter. "Remember Potter what I said about Sirius...if I go…"

"You're going to be fine." Potter interrupted.

He shook his head, not trusting himself to say anything else. He sighed, incredibly tired and aching as he turned to leave.

"Draco."

He stiffened at Potter's use of his name.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, but." Potter let out a breath, "But I will."

An odd sense of relief came over him that almost made him forget about the heaviness that was seeping into his bones. He nodded his head in thanks before he stalked off the roof and back into the house.

His feet took him to the kitchen where he found one of the oddest assortment of people gathered around at the table. Hermione gave him a thin smile, motioning for him to sit.

Feeling the weariness settle on him again, he gratefully took a seat and couldn't help propping his arms up on the tablet and resting his head against them.

He closed his eyes as Hermione combed through his hair. When her fingers stilled after brushing his skin, he blinked slightly to refocus on her. She frowned slightly, palming his forehead and muttering about his skin being a little warm.

He shook it off as he felt Snape and his father's gaze settle on him as well.

He felt his eyes close again.

He didn't particularly want to answer any of the questions that were beginning to form in either of their eyes.

* * *

Hermione frowned at the slight warmth of his skin. Not warm enough to be considered feverish, but definitely on the way to getting there.

He was tiredly slumped over the table, with his eyes closed.

She shook her head, unsure what to do.

Her eyes drifted up to Snape, who for once wasn't even trying to hide the confusion and concern from his face.

Sirius let out a sigh before coming closer to them, and leaning down to speak to Draco.

"Draco. You should eat something before the Healer gets here."

Draco shook his head, forcing himself upright.

"I'm not hungry."

She frowned in disbelief, something she knew was shared with the two other men in the room.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday Draco. You have to eat." She said softly to him, reaching beneath the table to place a reassuring hand at his knee.

He looked like he wanted to protest and opened his mouth as though ready to, before he slumped over and nodded in defeat.

Kreacher was summoned and placed a plate of food in front of him, which he proceeded to pick at before a stare down from Snape forced him to begin taking small bites.

She let out a breath of relief in seeing the sight before taking a sip from her own tea and leaving him to eat without her scrutiny.

At least, he would have been eating if he hadn't pushed himself away from the table and darted out of the room.

Bewildered, she turned to Snape and Sirius wondering if they had noticed something she hadn't. Snape seemed to be straining his ears to hear something before he visibly paled and darted out of the room. Without thinking she stumbled after him down a hall stopping before the flung open bathroom door.

Draco was slumped against toilet seat, pale and shaking as he retched the paltry contents of his stomach.

She froze at the doorway, hazily aware that Sirius had joined her.

Snape had dropped down beside Draco and was pushing his sweaty strands of hair off his forehead and back.

Somehow, she knew she should move...react...anything but the sight was so odd and the implication too frightening that she remained drilled to her spot in the hall, helplessly looking in.

Sirius was in a daze as though not believing what was occurring right before his eyes. Though he seemed to snap out of his stupor at the soft whimpering sound Draco made when he seemed done with being sick, slumping forward so that his forehead lent on the edge of the porcelain.

He dropped beside Draco, rubbing his back and murmuring soft words of comfort that she couldn't make out.

Draco didn't seem to be hearing any of it and was instead muttering things toward Snape.

She came closer, and seeing her, Sirius moved slightly so that she could sit at Draco's other side. His face was scrunched up. She could hear a hitch in his breath every so often breaking his shallow and labored rhythm. He seemed to be drifting between periods of pain filled delirium and lucidity.

"Sev." Draco whispered, "Please my mum. Please get her out. Please."

Her heart clenched at his pleas that he seemed content to whisper over and over as he shivered beside her.

Snape took in a sharp breath.

"Draco." he began.

"Gods it's like he's still here." Draco muttered, closing his eyes, "Like he can still torture me without being in the room."

She took her arm and wrapped it around his waist, surprised when the action led him to scooting closer to press himself into her. His head dropped to rest on her shoulder as his eyes remained closed.

She tightened her grip, unnerved at the clammy sweat clinging to his brow and the fluctuations of his body temperature. She was so confused as to what had set him off. Was it just the act of eating? Or was it just a progression of this horrid curse?

Snape was muttering softly with Sirius and she caught the back end of their conversation that had ended with Snape excusing himself to personally escort both the healer and Bill here now.

Something about this had frightened Snape to the point that he was passed being merely concerned.

It made her own heart race in response.

Draco snuggled closer into her, and she realized he was still half delirious after being so sick moments ago.

"Sirius." She said softly as she felt Draco's breaths against her collarbone even out to indicate he was lightly dozing off.

Sirius blinked and looked up from where he'd been glaring down at the tiled floor.

"I think a nourishing potion would probably be best right not, and some water." she said.

Sirius nodded before rising to his feet and stepping outside of the bathroom. She heard him call for Kreacher and relay her request before taking to pacing outside in the hall.

He didn't seem to venture far, a few feet and he would turn back. Each time, he'd stop and watch Draco for a moment or two and then resume his pacing.

Draco seemed to stir on his own long after she'd gone numb from sitting for so long on the cool tile.

He blinked up drowsily at her, and his eyes told her that he didn't have much of recollection of what had happened.

Though he seemed able to guess as much if his jaw clenching was any indication of it. He stood slowly but in that familiar elegant manner of his before extending his hand to help her up despite the fact that his own balance was teetering.

She took it, more for show than anything before shutting the toilet seat and having him sit down. She stood close and was surprised when he dropped his head to rest against her middle as they waited for Snape's return.

"I didn't think I'd be that sick yet." She heard him mutter against her shirt and she dropped her arms around his neck to hold him tight.

* * *

After what had felt like ages, Snape finally came back dragging a rather worried Bill and a kind woman who could only be the healer he trusted.

Reluctantly, she pulled away to give the Healer space to go over Draco. She watched the woman take her eyes and trail over Draco's form once before pulling her wand and going through a series of diagnostic spells while asking him softly a few questions about how he felt and his medical history.

Hermione watched her movements in clear fascination. The Healer was almost graceful with her wand as she stabilized Draco's temperature and offered him a few potions for the nausea and pain.

It wasn't until the Healer, Mary Kendricks as she found out her name was, had begun to unwind the bandages at Draco's arm that she looked away, catching the barest of glimpses of the darkened veins that now snaked down to his wrist and stretched up to his shoulder.

She turned her attention to Bill who seemed to grow more and more grim as he asked questions and was answered by Snape or Sirius. When he seemed to have all the information, he turned to Healer Kendricks who gave him a rundown of Draco's current condition.

Throughout the entire thing, one thing was abundantly clear. If they were going to do anything, they had to do it now.

"I'd like to see the memory of it being cast first."

How Draco managed to grow even paler than he already was she didn't know, but somehow the last remnants of color fled completely from his face.

He wasn't even given the chance to protest before Snape growled out his disapproval.

"Absolutely not."

She blinked in confusion at the vehemence behind the professor's tone.

He seemed to realize it himself as he immediately steeled his expression.

"I was there. My memories should be sufficient…"

"Uncle Sev."

They all turned to Draco then, who seemed to have relaxed somewhat under the care of the Healer, straightening as he sat up and met his godfather's gaze.

"You were standing in the back." Draco took a breath, "You couldn't have seen everything."

Snape looked shocked at Draco's interruption and even more so at what was said. He seemed ready to ask how Draco was even aware of what had been going on that night, when his eyes seemed to swing to Sirius.

The other man had his hands clenched and seemed to be physically restraining himself from lashing out.

"You watched?" He said dangerously low as he stared down Snape. "You watched and did nothing. For Merlin's sake you brought him back and he wasn't even conscious."

Snape's eyes flashed, though the rest of his face remained eerily blank.

"You think I enjoyed it Black?" He spat, "You may be the boy's father, but I have been the one to watch him grow for 17 years. Through every illness, injury, success, and failure. What could I have done in a room filled with Death Eaters -"

"More than nothing." Sirius exclaimed.

Her eyes went to Draco, who looked torn, casting his eyes fleetingly between the two. For once, she could see everything play out on his face; confusion, shock, and embarrassment. All of it flashed across his features, before he seemed to reach some sort of decision, adopting a firm though accepting expression.

"Dad."

Draco stood and slowly stepped toward Sirius, placing his hands out to hold onto Sirius's arms.

"He saved my life that night. He brought me here didn't he?"

Sirius's anger seemed to evaporate at that, and he stiffly nodded. Satisfied, Draco seemed ready to pull away when Sirius wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

She caught the sound of whispering reassurances that, instinctively she knew, came from Draco.

When they pulled apart, Draco turned stiffly to Bill, taking a deep breath before he spoke.

"Can you do Legilimency?"


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you for everyone who left a review! I loved them all. Keep them coming!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

He was beginning to question his sanity. Had he truly offered, willingly offered, for another soul to venture into his mind?

It had to be the final straw.

He'd gone mad.

Completely nutters.

It didn't matter that his Occlumency shields would be up to prevent prying into his other thoughts, and it certainly didn't matter that it might help save him now.

What mattered was that he was going to re-live it.

He wasn't certain he was ready for that.

He could still feel Snape's gaze drilling into his back, as though silently questioning him if he was sure.

He pushed his mind to brush against Snape's shields leaving a message as he went.

 _I'll be fine. Pull me out if it's too much._

He didn't linger long enough to hear his answer before he turned back to face Bill. They'd moved up to his room instead of continuing within the first floor bathroom. He sat down at the edge of his mattress, trying to ignore the discomfort at having so many people simply lingering in his room...watching him.

Bill looked at him, and he could see that the other looked about as comfortable with delving into his mind as he was.

"Stay in the memory." He said lowly, clasping his hands at his sides.

Bill nodded, pressing his wand to his temple as he met his eyes.

Draco shifted his walls just as Bill whispered the word.

Legilimens.

* * *

He was jerked suddenly and when his vision refocused he was up high in a tower feeling the rustle of wind through his hair.

The Astronomy Tower.

He looked in horror at the fallen form of his headmaster, quickly shifting his head in the opposite direction trying to block the sounds of triumph the entering Death Eaters were making.

He did fleetingly register Bellatrix heckling and then alternating to scolding Snape for taking his glory of the kill.

His stomach rolled at her words.

Biting his lip, he found his gaze being pulled to the fallen wand at his side. He reached out to it, feeling the air hum and warm him the closer he got; his own wand heating and pulsing in his grip.

 _Had it really been like this the first time?_

"Draco."

He blinked as Snape took him by the arm and shoved him forward.

"We must leave. Now."

He said nothing, knowing perhaps that his silence might be the one thing to save him tonight.

He was pushed forward, crowded seemingly from every angle. His lungs screamed in protest as he was jostled forward. The cackling and loud shouting around him was ringing in his ears and hammering in tune to the throbbing of his brain.

"You should run. Go. Anywhere." Snape said without so much as moving his lips.

He shook his head, clenching his jaw as he straightened despite the death grip his godfather had on his arm.

"I'm not leaving my mum."

Snape said nothing, but he caught his slight mutterings of how foolish he was.

He almost wanted to object but wasn't given the chance before the world twisted and spun around him and he was dropped with a thud on his knees.

He didn't need to open his eyes to know where he was now. The burn of his blood and the feel of the wards was enough for him to recognize it, and for the ancestral lands to recognize him in turn.

The Manor.

He sprung to his feet, unwilling to remain down for long when he was surrounded by enemies at every turn.

Again, he was shoved forward to walk. Knowing he had no choice, he obliged dragging his feet the closer they came to the hall.

His eyes scanned around the room, searching for a glimpse of a single friendly face.

He wasn't surprised when he found none.

He could feel Snape's presence somewhere behind him, but it wouldn't do him any good now.

The door slid open and whoever was to his right forced him once more to his knees at the feet of the demon that had taken over his house.

His knees ached, but he made no sounds as they continued to talk above him.

 _Most likely about him._

Idly, he thought what the Weasley made of this scene. The idea was a bit odd and for some reason forced a thin smile on his face at the utter irony of the situation.

Mad.

He was completely mad.

Above him, he could hear Snape making a case for him, but for every point he made another had something to counter it.

They were vicious and this was an opportunity to dethrone what had once been a prominent family.

 _They want me dead._

And he found the thought didn't bother him nearly as much as it should have. He was so tired. So strained.

"And what say you young Malfoy?"

 _Black._

He automatically corrected in his head, just as he felt the first of Voldemort's mental assaults at his mind.

The snake had a very distinct way of probing. First he would slip in from the cracks, smooth like water or air would in the slight holes of a house. When he succeeded in getting deeper he would spread, and in times of displeasure, he would claw and tear at the inside of the mind with the single purpose of causing pain while gaining knowledge.

He showed him what he wanted to see, twisting scenes, changing words, and flooding his mind with a jumble of thoughts that would normally seem meaningless.

He would let him see, but what he'd see would be nothing.

The Dark Lord pulled out abruptly, leaving him shaking.

"I gave you a task young Malfoy."

He cleared his throat, hoping the race of his heart was not evident in his voice.

"You did my Lord."

He swallowed, willing his heart rate to calm as he simply let go.

"What was it?"

"To find a way into the school and to kill the Headmaster."

His words were monotoned and rehearsed. They'd echoed in his own mind enough for him to know the entire speech he'd been given by heart.

"And I made you a deal did I not?"

A threat more like, though he dared not say it.

He raised his head to look the bastard in the eye, and resisted the urge to flinch at the sight.

"The headmaster is still dead my Lord and a way was found into the school."

It was a dangerous game for him to play. Escape by a technicality, but he would not cower. He'd had enough of it, and if he were to perish tonight, he would do so on his terms.

"But not by your hand." Voldemort hissed, and the air in the room seemed to chill to ice.

"The Headmaster is still dead." He repeated, not wavering in his gaze. Vaguely, he registered the stiffness in his legs and the pain in his knees.

He didn't think he could stay upright this way for much longer.

"Do they mean so little to you?" The Dark Lord taunted, "Their lives. Your mother's life was yours to defend."

"My mother did not fail you." he interjected boldly, "I did."

He heard a string of murmurs fill the room. It was a risk to so publically claim a failing, but he was done with it. There were no games he could play now, he accepted as much. All he could hope was that his boldness and willingness to take punishment for it would by him time. He could practically feel Snape's disapproval at his claim. He could practically hear his Godfather chiding him on his foolish bolster in his head.

It was enough of a distraction though.

A distraction from his own fear.

Voldemort studied him for a moment before a smile spread across his face. His heart pounded and briefly it crossed his mind that the sight made the Dark Lord look ravenous.

"You're quite right Draco Malfoy. It is your burden to bear."

He had no time to brace himself before he was blasted to the side wall. He stumbled, the breath in his lungs pushed out with the crunch of his ribs. He moved to stand but immediately found himself teetering down to the floor.

"Crucio."

He bit his lip, tasting the first bit of his blood mixing with his spit as the burning spread from his veins down to his bones and out to his limbs.

He was dying.

He was breathing.

He was drowning.

He resisted the urge to scream himself hoarse. He refused to make a sound. This was not new. He would not break so soon.

Again he felt the sensation of the Dark Lord attempting to break into his mind. Frustrated at his barriers, he pulled away and again he felt another cruciatus take hold of him.

He lost track of it. He seemed to forget time as he went through the cycle. During the brief bits of respite, his vision would clear, and he could make out those around him. He was confusing them with his silence...his restraint.

There was fascination, begrudging respect, and disgust on many of the faces he knew.

Bellatrix was to his right looking at the scene gleefully and to her side stood her husband, who was watching in rapt attention.

The level of intensity that Rodolphus was watching him made him think that perhaps the man had made a wager on how long he would keep his life.

 _I hope you lose all your galleons you fucker._ He thought spitefully.

He hissed at the next crucio. His first sound of the night.

When his vision sharpened once more, his eyes met the dark one's of his godfather.

 _My mother Sev. My mother._

Again, time blurred together until he could barely distinguish between the beginning of one curse and the end of another.

He didn't even realize his eyes had shut until the rustle of fabric forced him to crack them open to see what was going on around him.

The bastard bent down, his dark robes mixing with the dark spots of his vision as he struggled to focus.

"It's a pity that now you show your strength. I'd have thought you'd be raving or dead by now." Voldemort teased.

His stomach clenched, twisting his insides in a way that resembled knots.

"But there's always been more to you Draco Malfoy. Hasn't there?" he mused as he bent closer to him. "You've been hiding from me."

He could feel his breaths tickling his skin, and he was overcome with the urge to spit in the snake's face. But he couldn't. His mouth was dry and bleeding. He couldn't swallow. He couldn't speak. Half the time, he found he couldn't breathe.

"It would be better if you die tonight." Voldemort said, digging his wand deep into his throat before moving it downward. "But in the case that you don't. I have a gift."

 _Now how did you cast? What did you do?_

His vision blurred, and he gasped for breath.

"You don't wish for death, not yet," Voldemort said as he felt his flesh burn and tear under the other's wand, "but you will."

He needed to live. He needed to live just a little longer, Lena deserved as much. Narcissa deserved it too, but if it was his life for hers...he could accept that.

His thoughts were broken as a pain like no other tore through his arm. It felt like it had been broken, cut away with a blunt knife, while simultaneously being set within a roaring flame.

He bit his bloodied tongue, but the feel of it overwhelmed him and his silence broke.

He screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed until he was hoarse and couldn't gasp for another breath.

And even then he screamed until the room faded into nothing. The grip he had on his own body was ripped away, and he fell gladly into the soothing grasp of darkness.

* * *

Hermione thought it had been a mistake to force Draco to offer up his memories so soon after he'd been exhausted by being sick on the cool floor of the bathroom.

Yet, he simply threw his shoulders back and met Bill unflinching as the other had pressed his wand to his temple and uttered the spell that would grant him access.

He was shaking.

She'd sat beside him on the bed, threading her one arm around his waist to hold him securely in her grasp.

He trembled and a glance at his face showed it scrunched up in pain as tears fell silently down his cheeks.

Then he'd screamed, nearly forcing her to fall to the floor.

And he didn't seem able to stop.

The left sleeve of his jumper was dampening in blood, and she immediately drew her wand to somehow knit the skin close to stop the bleeding.

The healer was shouting for Bill to end the spell while calling out to Snape to gather her a list of potions.

Draco slumped in her grasp, going silent after his screams had turned into rattling coughs.

She redressed the wound as best she could to stop the rapid blood loss, pushing his sweaty fringe off his face to get a better look at him.

 _He felt so cold._

Behind her, Bill gasped as he pulled out of Draco's mind, nearly tumbling to the floor as he did.

The door to Draco's room flung open, and hearing the voice of the intruder, Hermione's heart warmed.

Tonks.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking? You should have waited."

"We can't." Bill said, cutting her off, "We can't wait any longer."

He turned to her and pulled Draco out of her arms and laid him flat on his back. Healer Kendricks began setting up monitoring spells as Bill began unwinding the coverings of the wound.

Tonks pulled her to the side, and she felt herself being transferred into another pair of strong arms.

Tonks then turned and began assisting Healer Kendricks by casting stabilizing spells in rapid succession as Bill dug his wand and made a cut perpendicular to the one already deep in Draco's arm.

"Oh Merlin." She heard Sirius murmur as he tightened his grip around her.

Her eyes darted between the numbers flashing above Draco's headboard.

Blood pressure.

Heart rate.

Brain activity.

Magical Core output.

Temperature.

The numbers continued to climb.

"He's overheating." She shouted before fighting against Sirius's arms and stumbling to the bed once more.

Her instincts seemed to have taken over as she cast in rapid motion several cooling spells.

Fuck.

"Come on Draco. Come on." She murmured to herself as she continued casting, relieved as the number showing his body temperature showed signs of dropping.

Bill was chanting low near her, with flashes of light shooting out of his wand and mixing with the blood already falling from Draco's opened arm.

She watched entranced at the dark, nearly black, blood that fell from the cursed wound dripping down his pale skin beside the beads of bright crimson that was falling from the cut Bill had made.

Then, three different alarms began sounding. She froze from where she'd begun casting her 6th cooling charm as she took in his rapidly falling heart rate.

Bill was shouting something, but she didn't register it as she stumbled in horror watching the numbers continue to dip.

No. No. He couldn't be.

Tonks moved to the front of the bed and pushed Bill out of the way.

His brain.

They hadn't cast a stationary spell before they'd begun working.

The curse was going for his brain.

His heart.

It was going for the kill.

She wanted to scream out her deductions, but it seemed Tonks had realized it for herself. The other witch was rapidly casting over Draco's head and then above his heart.

She couldn't place the spells, even though she knew she recognized them.

With a start, she realized Tonks was crying as she moved her wand over and over, though her voice never faltered as she cast.

Please.

Please.

Please.

Suddenly, Tonks stopped.

Draco shook before he bolted upright coughing and wheezing for breath. For a moment, he seemed to focus on her his lips moving to say something before his eyes rolled back, and he fell once more onto the bed.

"No." Sirius shouted, but she caught him by the arm, unsure how she managed to still his movements.

She watched Draco for a moment before the spell sounded as his heart began to pump once more, and his chest rose in thin breaths.

"He's fine. He's fine." She murmured, dropping her arm to wipe at her blurring and wet eyes.

Sirius stumbled forward and collapsed to his knees on the floor beside the bed before he fell forward and wrapped his arms around Draco's form, shaking as silent sobs racked through him.

She teetered back before she found herself being embraced by Tonks. The adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins seemed to be fading and with it the tears that she'd been holding back as they'd all frantically cast and worked fell over.

He was alive.

She registered Tonks murmuring the same thought as they clung to each other, only broken apart when Sirius had composed himself and come and drawn up Tonks into his arms.

"Thank you." he chanted, over and over until they all were eventually ushered out of the room by Healer Kendricks.

* * *

He didn't wake. His vitals improved and there were obvious signs of life, but it seemed he'd slipped into unconsciousness and was bound to stay that way for now.

She couldn't leave.

Going for that simple walk to the loo and back was pure torture. She was so afraid...so so afraid something would happen and she'd return to find him gone.

It felt too much like something was sitting heavy on her chest, making her heart beat funny and her breaths feel short.

Was it right to feel so much so soon?

None of this was ordinary. Nothing about this situation was even remotely sane and it was driving them all passed the bounds of such notions.

Healer Kendricks had had to leave, but she'd been optimistic by the results of several tests she'd run.

 _It's up to him now_ , she'd said.

Bill had done some last traces for Dark Magic and curses, and found some faint bits of the former but thankfully none of the later. He was going to have some permanent damage, but it would be nothing compared to what would have happened if they'd waited any longer.

 _It went faster than I thought. Another week, and he'd have already been bedridden and his muscles beginning to atrophy._

Bill had left after that, exhausted but thankful that he'd managed to help Draco at all.

She'd tried, in her own roundabout way to ask what he'd seen. He'd looked at her, and for a moment she'd seen him grow so upset that it had forced the air out her lungs.

 _Merlin he was a kid, after that...I don't think I can look at him like just a child._

It was all he'd volunteered and frankly it made her think that it was best she didn't know.

Tonks forced her out of his room to eat sometime into the next day. It was a kind of torture, she was sure, to simply eat and breathe while her mind was occupied with thoughts on what ifs.

She stared down at her plate in disdain before beginning to eat, not particularly tasting anything as she went through the motions.

She heard the chair beside her being pulled out before a familiar dark head came into view.

"Hey Hermione."

She put her fork down and turned to Harry with a forced smile at her lips. "Hey Harry."

He returned her smile.

"How are you doing?"

It seemed like the wrong question. She was fine, maybe moving on autopilot….but she was still moving.

"I'm ok Harry." At his disbelieving glance, her smile widened briefly at the normality of the motion before dropping off her face.

"I'm so worried -"

"Because he still hasn't woken." Harry finished.

She nodded, not surprised at Harry's perception. When he paid attention, he usually was quite sharp.

He sighed and dropped an arm over her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

"He's getting there 'Mione. He's improving." he paused rubbing her arm in comforting circles, "He's just got to fight this last round on his own."

She looked up at him, blinking furiously at the stinging in her eyes.

"It's just...he's a friend, and he's still not out of danger."

She caught Harry's pointed look at the word friend, before he shook his head.

She didn't know why she was grateful he didn't linger on it.

"Come one, when have we ever known Draco to not bounce back after being shoved to the ground."

She cracked a smile.

Harry returned it before letting out a long sigh.

"I suppose after this I can't deny it anymore." He leveled her a look, "We are kind of brothers."

She couldn't help it, but a laugh forced its way passed her lips and shook her until there were tears in her eyes. She turned in her seat to throw both her arms around him.

"Thank you Harry." She whispered, burying her head into his chest.

His grip tightened.

"Course. What are friends for?"

She pulled away, the grin still stretched on her face.

He gave her a knowing look, glancing briefly at her half-eaten plate.

"I think you've been down here long enough."

She rolled her eyes, but nonetheless rose and practically dashed the rest of the way up the stairs and down the second floor hall.

* * *

Her steps slowed as she neared his door. Taking a breath, she slipped in through the crack and walked softly to the chair she'd pulled up to his bedside.

She sat, taking him in before she reached out and began combing his hair enjoying the feel of his soft strands between her fingers.

She didn't think she'd ever tire of this, watching him sleep. He was so undone in such a peaceful manner that she didn't ever see while he was awake.

But he wasn't simple sleeping. No. If he were only sleeping, at least she would know for sure that he would wake soon.

Time didn't seem to matter as she kept her vigil, only registered when her own eyelids started to drop.

She shifted in her seat, debating if she should leave for her own room even though it made her ache to think of it.

She stood as quietly as she could manage, deciding it would be best to stretch out and attempt a few hours of sleep instead of half the amount and in an uncomfortable position too.

She was nearly at the door when she heard the slight rustling.

Spinning on her heel, she zeroed in on the source of the sound. Her hand came up to her mouth as she watched Draco shift slightly tangling his sheets. Slowly, she stepped closer dropping numbly into her chair as he continued to move about.

"Draco?"

He let out a breath, turning on his side toward the sound of her voice. He cracked his lids before blinking a few times as though to focus on what he was seeing.

"Hermione?" his voice was scratchy and hoarse, and it seemed like it brought him a great deal of pain to even form the word.

"Hey." she said softly, leaning over the mattress and reaching for his hand.

He blinked again, his brows furrowing.

"M'dead?"

Her breath hitched.

"No. Merlin. No." She whispered clutching his hand tight.

He nodded, not seemingly registering the meaning of her words, but accepting them nonetheless.

He dropped his lids once more tiredly before forcing them back open. She could tell he was fighting to keep from slipping back into sleep. Sleep that he obviously still needed.

"Your father will want to hear that you've woken and the Healer should be notified and…"

He tugged at her hand, effectively shutting her up from continuing to ramble.

"To tired." he breathed, closing his eyes.

She slumped, laughing softly. "Of course. I should let you sleep." She moved to go. Draco; though, seemed to have other ideas.

"You can stay." he murmured his eyes still closed and his grip still firm on her hand.

"Draco."

He tugged on her hand again, and she felt herself caving the tighter he grasped.

She crawled up and into the bed, slipping soundlessly beneath the gasped in surprise when he pulled her close to him, throwing an arm around her waist.

It wasn't unpleasant, and frankly welcome.

She wanted the reassurance of him.

His warmth.

The drum of his heart.

The soft wheeze in his breath.

All of it.

She nestled into his chest, slipping her own arms around his waist to hug him close as her head rested on his warm shoulder.

"Oh gods Draco. You were so close…" she whispered, tears edging to the corners of her eyes. She blinked, taking a deep breath to calm as she felt his grasp tighten and his fingers drawing comforting pattern into the small of her back.

She closed her eyes and without thinking pressed a kiss to his collarbone and then to his jaw.

"Don't you ever do something that get's you cursed again."

He shook with silent laughter against her before he seemed to clear his throat.

"Promise." he managed to say.

She hummed in response, closing her eyes again already feeling the grips of sleep lulling her away.

Eventually, his breath evened out once more and she fell into dreams listening to the beautiful rhythm in which he took in air.

Each in and out, she thought.

Alive.

Alive.

Alive.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I struggled with writing that chapter and truly wanted to get everything just right, I'm glad you all liked. As always keep the reviews coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quotes in this chapter by Aldous Huxley and Emily Bronte.

* * *

Her eyes stayed completely shut as she nestled even closer to the warm firm body beside her. She wasn't quite ready to abandon the gentle brush of sleep or the comfort that could only be found in between soft sheets.

A low rumble, something like laughter, echoed in her ear.

"Well I'm definitely not dead, because this sure can't be hell."

She cracked an eye open to look up at the boy whose arms she was currently in.

"I don't think you'd go to hell." She opened her other eye and without thinking she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

Draco smirked, huddling closer to her.

"Morning." he murmured near her temple before he pressed a chaste kiss to her skin.

She smiled slightly, pulling herself up to sit.

Reluctantly, Draco relinquished his hold around her, though he kept his hand close enough that their fingers still touched.

Taking a breath, Draco stiffly pulled himself upright, wincing as he laid back against his headboard.

"How are you feeling?"

He bit his lip before he answered.

"Sore, but this part of me," He gestured to his left side, "feels a bit numb."

She moved a little closer and slowly placed a hand on his left shoulder, letting her fingers ghost lower.

When she heard his breath hitch, she quickly withdrew.

"I'm sure it'll get better. You just woke after all. You still have a lot of healing left to do." She shifted to let her legs dangle off the edge of the mattress, "Speaking of, I should go tell everyone that you've finally woken."

She moved to stand, but Draco reached over and grabbed her hand.

She held her breath, growing lost in the intensity of his gaze as his eyes roamed across her face.

He pulled himself up even further, bringing one of his knees up as he did.

"Thank you." he said quietly.

She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly much more dry than it had been a moment before.

"It wasn't just me."

He let out a breath.

"But you stayed. Not everyone stays."

Her breath caught, and emboldened, she let her hand rest on his knee as she leant in closer. As though in a trance, Draco came up even further to meet her his fingers crawling around her neck and into the curls at the base of her neck.

The feel of his lips stole any hope of her ever catching a sliver of air again.

Her arms went around his neck. Her hands found the tendrils of his hair, and she pulled him closer. He moaned into her mouth when she nipped at his bottom lip before sucking and resuming the kiss.

She felt one of his hands move to her lower back and crawl up her sides, and she shivered against him.

She'd never been drunk before, but she got a feeling that if she ever was it would be like the buzz she got from tasting him.

"And here I thought I should be worried about the lack of noise in this room."

Hermione abruptly pulled away at the voice, nearly falling off the bed if Draco hadn't grabbed her in time.

Tonks laughed, nearly choking from the obvious shock on the both of their faces.

"Don't you knock?" Draco snapped, adopting a frustrated expression. His embarrassment though was still evident by the slight pink tinge of his cheeks.

Somehow, she knew hers were ten times worse.

Tonks grinned and folded her arms.

"I thought I was visiting an unconscious patient. Knocking usually doesn't matter to them."

Hermione grinned, despite her embarrassment at being caught in such a compromising position. She slid off the bed, pausing at the side before reaching over and combing through Draco's hair to fix the tousled look she'd created with her hands.

"I should go. Sirius will want to know that you're awake."

Draco looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it.

He gave her a slight nod, and she turned and bustled out of the room her mouth curled upwards as her fingers came to her swollen lips.

Merlin.

* * *

Draco watched Hermione leave and bit his lip. Had he really just kissed Hermione….

His eyes met Tonks, who was still shooting him a knowing sort of smile.

Oh. He had.

He'd kissed Hermione Granger.

Merlin.

He wanted to do it again.

He groaned, running both his hands through his hair, grimacing at the discomfort in his left arm.

Tonks chuckled before coming to sit on his bed.

"If I knew I'd be interrupting I would have waited."

He peeked through his fingers, before dropping his hands and scowling.

"No you wouldn't have."

Tonks laughed, shaking as she threw her arms around him and drew him into a bone-crushing embrace. He found his scowling melting into a thin smile as he hesitantly brought his arms around his cousin and tightening his hold in response.

"Thank bloody Merlin Draco."

He let out a shaky breath and pulled away.

Tonks's eyes were shining, as she cleared her throat.

He studied her face and on impulse, he drew his hand out and wrapped it around hers.

"Thank you."

She grinned and ruffled his hair.

"What else is family for?" Tonks said, her grin widening as he swatted her hands from his hair.

He felt his brow raise on it's own accord.

"Threats, blackmail, disowning you." He listed off, watching Tonks shake with silent laughter at his sarcasm.

He allowed himself a small smile as he leant back onto the headboard. He cleared his throat.

"All that aside, speaking of family…" He trailed off looking pointedly at her stomach, "I hope you're taking it easy. That's my little cousin in there."

Tonks smiled moving from the mattress to the chair dragged up to his bedside.

She hummed as her hand went to her middle. "I've been trying but the little bugger has been making my mornings and evenings hell." She said with fondness.

She looked up then to him.

"I think you're going to have competition for most troublesome member of the family."

He scoffed, fighting the grin that threatened to spread across his face.

"I am not the most troublesome."

Tonks shot him a look, raising a brow unimpressed. She leaned in closer to him, a wicked sort of smile playing at her lips.

"And you and Hermione Granger?"

Draco let out a breath, the corner of his lips quirking upward.

"Now that is most definitely trouble."

Tonks looked like she wanted to ask him more, but at that moment the door to his room flung open and before he could even register the new additions to his room he was once again drawn up into a firm embrace.

He felt himself relax as he recognized the familiar scent and the voice murmuring reassurances and soft platitudes into his ear.

Sirius.

His eyes stung as he nestled deeper into his father's embrace, suddenly not wanting to be let out.

It made him feel small. Young. Like he was still a just a boy sitting in his bed and longing...waiting for someone to come to him after a long nightmare that had left him shaking and nearly screaming.

He caught some of the words Sirius was muttering.

I'm sorry.

Thank Merlin.

Alive.

"Dad." he choked out, pulling away as the need for air overwhelmed his desire to merely hide away in the dark for awhile.

He met Sirius's eyes; the one's so like his own.

"I'm ok." he whispered.

His father flashed him a tight smile and reluctantly broke away, staying relatively close to him while still allowing room for the visiting Healer to look him over.

Kendricks, he thought her name was, was watching him inquisitively and alternating between casting a few spells.

With a sigh, she tore her eyes from him and looked over the various results from the spells she cast. Most he recognized, and he felt his own heart sink watching some of the numbers flash before his eyes.

She turned back to him and in a low voice, spoke, "Mors Resistis."

"Illud te lente." he finished without even thinking. He felt the other eyes on him, but didn't move his eyes off the healer.

He saw some measure of surprise in her warm gaze, but overall she didn't seem shocked he could place the spell.

Or the rest of the incantation that went with it.

She took his arm into her hands and unwound the bandages around his forearm.

He grimaced at the sight.

The skin was slightly irritated and red, with a new crossed and jagged scar on his pale flesh. Only this scar was dark along the edges, the remnants of the dark magic that would probably never fade.

He was familiar with it, as his other hand went up unconsciously to his chest.

Sectumsempra had left a similar mark.

Healer Kendricks turned away and shuffled through a bag of supplies before pulling out two cream jars.

"For the scar." she said before dabbing some and rubbing it into his arm.

He winced at the pressure, biting his tongue at the pain that shot through him.

She noticed, and her motions became more gentle as she finished and switched to the second jar.

"For the slight infection and pain."

He nodded and bit his tongue as she again spread the cream over his arm and didn't stop until it was once again re-dressed.

Hermione had come back in and settled at his other side and taken his right hand into hers.

He smiled slightly at her action as his eyes drifted to his father who was watching them both with faint amusement on his face. Seeing Draco's gaze, his smirk widened before he snapped his attention back to Healer Kendricks who was explaining the Mors Resistis curse.

The Death Bringer.

This curse was going to make Potter's seem like child's play.

His entire physiology had been altered.

His metabolism.

His heart.

His lungs.

Although with the last one, it's not like much worse could be done.

She warned him to be careful with what he ate, unsure if he'd react to things he normally wouldn't have now that the curse had been broken. She outlined a temporary diet that by the looks of it, Sirius was already taking detailed notes on.

As she was speaking, she took his left arm back into her grasp and began ghosting her fingers from his shoulder down to her hands, frowning at his occasional winces.

"Can you clench your fist for me." She asked then.

He took a deep breath and did as she asked; not in the least prepared for what the action would cause.

It hurt.

Moving his numbed fingers was slow. It felt with each inch they moved, his joints dug at each other.

It was some achievement when he managed to clasp his hand into the familiar form of a fist.

Healer Kendricks nodded at the sight, muttering to herself.

"Can you lift your arm?"

The mattress shifted as both Hermione and Sirius stepped away to give him room to comply.

He managed to lift his arm straight out in front of him before he dropped it barely a second later, panting hard at the exertion.

She walked his through the motions, focusing on his left side.

Folding his leg, stretching it out, moving his toes.

Gods.

He was exhausted by the time she was through. Based on his performance, he knew what she was going to say before she did finally give her diagnosis.

Rehabilitation.

He'd lost muscle and nerve endings. His left side would never be the same again.

He sat back against the headboard, his forehead drenched in sweat as Healer Kendricks wrapped up her examination leaving a potion schedule for him to follow and bidding him to get some rest.

He closed his eyes without protest, not really wanting to see the pitying expressions in the eyes of those around him.

He felt someone press a light kiss to his temple.

"Sleep Draco."

Hermione.

He let out a breath, but otherwise made no other motions, listening as the footsteps faded from his room and echoed down the nearby staircase.

When he could no longer hear anything besides the rasp of his breath, he pulled himself back up and let his legs hang over the edge of the mattress.

He summoned the tiny muggle device for his lungs and experimentally stood, pressing part of his weight to his left foot.

He couldn't rest.

He couldn't sleep.

No.

Not when only half of him was working.

* * *

Hermione sighed, walking slowly down the hall toward the kitchen. Draco had been sleeping for a while now, or she hoped he was at least. Despite all he'd already slept, he needed more. His body was still so broken that the amount of rest it demanded was surely more than Draco wanted to give himself.

She shook her head at the image of his face as he'd struggled through Healer Kendrick's exercises.

It was like a knife to the chest seeing the cracks in his expression the harder and harder he pushed himself.

She'd wanted to tell him to be patient. That he would get there. Yet, she'd held her tongue as he'd closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

She could respect his need to be alone. To have time to process everything.

"He's on the road to recovery now. Don't make it worse by focusing on every worry you have."

She paused, listening to the voice echo from a room down the hall.

Remus.

"I know. I know, but what if… this time turned out ok. What about the next, and the one after that…"

Sirius.

She edged closer, before she was jerked into a second room. She struggled against the grip before her attacker shushed her, and she caught a glimpse of red.

She stopped struggling, and Ron let her go while motioning for her to be quiet. She glanced about the room, catching Harry's gaze before he turned toward the wall straining to hear Sirius and Remus speak.

"Gods." Sirius let out a hollow laugh, "but he's exactly like me isn't he? And then Harry is so like James. You add in the Weasley boy, who is loyal to the fault, and Hermione..."

Her eyes drifted to Harry, whose expression was pinched up in pain at the mention of his father.

"Sirius." Remus said.

"This isn't the last time the whole lot of them will be in trouble." Sirius sighed, shuffling, "I keep thinking about when Draco was first born, and Lena was so worried that we'd doomed him by bringing him into a broken world. I didn't understand it then, but now -"

"You can't stop life because the world is falling apart. You can't stop him from living." Remus said softly,

"I know but -"

"No Sirius. You can't stop it, no matter how much you may want too." Remus paused, "Dora's pregnant."

She nearly stumbled at that, and based on the boys, they were just as shocked.

From the lack of noise on the other side of the wall, Sirius was stunned to silence too.

"It scares me senseless. Just the thought of it, terrifies me, but at the end of the day I wouldn't...couldn't change it for anything." Remus continued after a breath, "What I'm trying to say is there's always going to be trouble, we just have to try to overcome it."

They were both silent for a moment.

"Congratulations Moony."

Remus chuckled before their voices and footsteps seemed to fade away.

She stumbled back to look at Ron and Harry. She could practically see Harry's mind working as the true weight of this war settled on his shoulders. They were fighting for life; new, old, and future.

Remus's news had been a confirmation of it.

She pulled her wand and began pushing furniture to the sides of the room wordlessly.

Ron stood, coming closer to her.

"What are you doing 'Mione?"

"I'm tired of feeling like we're doing nothing." She said clenching her wand tight, "So, I've decided we're going to do what we can. Prepare."

At Ron's expression, she continued, "We're going to train."

A protest looked to be forming on her friend's face, and without even pausing to think she sent a spell his way. Ron quickly ducked and scurried toward Harry, who had now broken out in laughter at Ron's yelp and subsequent retreat.

He wiped at his face before turning to her, with his wand out.

"Alright let's train."

They went for hours that way, coaching each other. She grew lost in the motions; in the spells and drills.

She poured everything into it. Her frustrations. Her pent up anger. Her worries. By the time they were through, she was pleasantly exhausted.

Finally...Finally it felt like they were getting somewhere.

* * *

It took Draco until the sun finally set, to feel steady just standing still on his feet without support.

It took him an hour after that to make his way around his room without stumbling and falling.

He considered it an accomplishment, despite the fact that he relied heavily on the surrounding walls for support.

By the time he felt fairly comfortable to venture out of his room, he was sure that the rest of the house was fast asleep.

 _Like he should be._

But he couldn't. He was too wired, too confused, and too frustrated.

He'd lived.

Fuck.

He didn't know how to feel about all of this. Sure he was thankful for his life, and that was definitely worth the extra pain and discomfort that he now had, but on the one hand he was so frustrated with the position he now found himself in.

He needed to make his next move, but he wasn't in any shape to be making any moves.

He was consumed with plans, plots, and pieces to move.

There was no way he could simply unwind...not with the darkness surrounding his thoughts that was ominously pointing toward what kind of dreams he'd be having should he miraculously find a way to fall asleep.

So he'd pushed. Pushed his body until he'd fallen shivering and sweaty back on the mattress for a quick kip before then standing back up to do it again.

He paused on the steps, coughing at the strain.

A quick puff of medicine and he continued down the stairs, rounding the corner toward the library.

If there was anything that could distract him, he'd find it in there.

That's the way he'd always been. Things became too much, he'd try to get lost in something else. A book. A pad and quill. His broom and the wind whipping past him as he soared higher and higher.

Considering the state of him now, only one of those options really seemed viable and appealing.

He froze at the entrance to the library, completely surprised at the figure that was bent over one of the tables engrossed in the book in front of him.

Potter.

Merlin.

He hadn't thought Potter would even want to know about the library in the house, much less seek refuge amongst its shelves.

He gripped the frame of the door hard, debating on simply turning around and hobbling his way back to his room.

Unfortunately, his normal grace and stealth was failing him.

His foot scuffed into the floor softly, but it was enough. Potter looked up and blinked up blearily at him.

He cleared his throat looking at Draco intently.

"Are you supposed to be up and out already?"

Draco shrugged, pushing himself off the frame as he walked stiffly and slowly toward Potter's table. He made out the other rise as though to come and help him, but he waved him off.

"I have to do it myself." he said clenching his jaw before finally making it over to the table and sitting down, stopping himself from dropping like dead weight into the chair.

Potter eyed him, sitting back in his chair.

"Are you alright?"

"Do you care?" he asked, raising a brow.

Potter smirked, folding his arms to and leaning on them over the table.

"I was just thinking it would be anticlimactic for you to survive a curse only to end up dying the next day after tripping down the stairs."

"Like I would trip." he scoffed, eyeing the familiar book between them.

He glanced down at the page and noted the familiar symbol.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he said after a moment, letting his gaze roam upwards to meet Potter's. He wasn't surprised to find the other doing just the same.

Potter nodded, dropping his eyes back to the page and then up to him.

"I keep seeing things….things he's doing."

His stomach churned, but he forced a blank expression on his face as he nodded in understanding.

"You know this symbol, don't you?"

He thought about what he would gain by lying, and truly there wasn't much. A small part of him, the bitter part, wanted to simply deny and say he knew nothing out of spite. The larger part of him, the part that had grown and suffered, was practically begging him to simply let go.

He had a chance for second starts, didn't he?

He nodded after a moment, taking the book into his hands and flipping to the story in the book.

"It's the Hallows." he said lowly pushing the book back to Potter so he could read the fairytale.

He watched his eyes drift through the words, widening and narrowing at points. When he finally finished, he sat back in his seat and slumped into himself.

After a moment, Potter spoke softly, "They're real, aren't they?"

Before Draco could respond, Potter had begun to half rant half explain his thought process out loud.

"My cloak. I mean, it's better than most and...and it was my father's. They aren't supposed to last that long."

Draco nodded, turning the page in the book back to the picture of the Elder wand.

He studied the drawing, and unbidden, his mind went to that part of his memory of that night. The way the wand had hummed and pulsed magic into the air from where it lay forgotten on the ground.

They were slightly similar, but then this picture didn't look all that much like the pictures he'd read about...

"He has it." Potter said, breaking the string of his thoughts. He nodded toward the picture, "He's been going after people who know about it. I don't think it's working for him well."

He furrowed his brows.

Something nagged at the back of his mind of just why that might be, but he pushed the idea away. He certainly didn't want to think of it, but his knowledge of the Elder wand and the lore behind it was nearly too much to ignore.

He cursed his grandfather's obsession with wand making and consequently the Elder wand. How that one time obsession had become part of the legacy he'd passed on to Draco in turn.

It made it hard not to begin to unravel the mysteries of the situation.

He shook his head, watching Potter warily.

The boy had furrowed his brows in deep thought before abruptly looking up to meet his gaze.

"You don't think...You don't think Dumbledore wanted me to -"

"To become the Master of Death?" Draco finished, and despite how much he wanted to hold it in he couldn't. He laughed.

Potter glared at him, and he bit his lip as he calmed himself.

"No," he took a breath, "Being the Master of Death it's not...it's not what you think. There's no bringing back the dead or evading death when he comes...that's a muggle way of looking at it. It's more." He paused, thinking about the best way to word what he'd learned in his own morbid fascination with those beyond the veil and the legends surrounding the practice, "Mastering life. Not being afraid of it, having the power to survive it, and greeting Death pleasantly when he comes."

Potter nodded after a moment.

"He probably wanted you to make sure he never got all three Hallows though."

Potter sighed. "So just the Horcruxes."

"You say that like it's an easy task." He said bitterly.

To his surprise, the other smiled at his retort.

"You're right. Just trying to figure them out has been like searching for a needle in a haystack."

He froze at that. The words seemingly echoing in his head.

 _It's like looking for something in the middle of nothing. We're searching for a gem amongst junk._

Blaise had said the same thing, and again it tugged at him, begging to be put together.

He felt Potter staring at him, and mistaking his silence for confusion, he began explaining the muggle phrase.

Where had he heard about a room full of junk…

He stiffened.

It had been right there. Really, where would you hide something, but in the room for that exact purpose?

He nearly laughed out loud at it.

Now if he could only figure out what the thing was.

Potter cleared his throat, and he blinked turning his attention back to the other.

"You're right. He's had them hidden well." He bit his lip, "But we do have one."

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Have you destroyed it?"

Potter shook his head, looking slightly uncomfortable. "No. We were waiting...You found it after all."

He smirked.

"Well what are we waiting for?"

He pulled his wand and cast a protection spell in one motion before sending Potter on his way to get the sword. He swore; though, that before Potter turned away that he was smiling.

* * *

By the time he'd returned with the sword and the locket, the room was shielded and all the tables and chairs had been cleared away.

Draco nodded to Harry who dropped the locket on the ground between them. Then after a moment, he stretched his arm out holding the sword for Draco to take.

He chewed his lip. He wanted this. He truly did, but….

He glanced at Potter and saw something in his eyes that he'd seen a thousand times in his own.

He wasn't the only one who needed this.

He took the sword and before he could change his mind positioned it so that they were both holding onto the hilt.

Harry's eyes widened.

He smirked at the sight before defiantly driving the blade downward to the locket.

It burned.

The sword grew hot and heavy in his hand the minute the blade pierced the metal of the locket. There was a hissing sound, and with wide eyes he turned back to Harry who had one hand up to his scar and the other firmly holding the sword down.

He saw it though, in his face.

Fear.

Smoke seemed to fill the room and the hissing morphed into something more understandable.

 _A Malfoy and a Potter._

He gripped the sword as he fought to push up his mental barriers at the voice invading my head.

 _No you don't._

Somewhere beside him, he made out Potter likewise struggling with something as he gasped out in pain.

The horcrux was fighting back.

 _I am indeed._

He gasped as he was assaulted with vision after vision...with fire.

He could see Lena dying.

Then Sirius.

Narcissa.

Tonks.

Hermione.

Face after face. Everyone he knew.

 _Such a tragic beginning, for a tragic end._

"Stop." He shouted, unsure who he really meant it for.

 _You never could save them. Not really. You were a wicked child who grew up to be an even more deplorable man._

 _You failed._

 _Your mother._

 _The father you knew and the one you didn't._

 _Any friend you ever made._

 _The Mudblood._

"Stop it. Stop. You fucking snake get out of my head." He shouted, willing his shaking hands to remain firm around the hilt and pushing down with all he had.

 _How many lies do you have to spin before they realize it._

 _Where does it end?_

 _Where does it -_

"Potter." he shouted over the now persistent ringing in his ear, "Everything you've got on three."

His vision was blurring, and he felt his insides twisting. When had everything become so loud?

 _I wanted you, didn't I?_

 _I saw something in you Draco. I saw a weapon._

"One." he called out, making out the dark head beside him dip in a nod.

 _You can't fool them forever not your family._

"Two."

 _Not the Mudblood._

"Rot in hell." he grit his teeth before calling out the final count. Before he'd even finished speaking, he shoved the sword down.

The hissing and ringing became a loud shriek as smoke spread from the locket outward and they were both thrown backwards.

He crawled up back to his feet as his vision seemed to clear, ignoring the screaming of his muscles as he stood straight and stiffly made his way over to the burnt and broken locket on the ground.

The shuffling of feet sounded and came to a stop beside him.

"At least we know the sword works." he said hoarsely, wincing at the ache in his lungs as he did.

Potter nodded dumbly, dropping the sword beside the locket.

He let out a breath.

"What," Potter said, pausing to lick his lips, "What did it show you?"

He clenched his fist.

"Nothing I didn't expect."

* * *

Hermione woke with a start and stared up at the ceiling above her. She shifted slightly, pulling the book off her middle as she stretched and sat up in her bed.

She blinked, rubbing at her eyes before she stood stiffly from the mattress. It was odd, she couldn't for the life of her pinpoint what had forced her awake.

She stepped out from her room, pulling her hair up into a bun as she continued carefully down the steps toward the kitchen. Perhaps a glass of water, and she could try to fall back asleep after.

She paused at the second floor, glancing down the hall and noticing Draco's bedroom door slightly ajar.

He wasn't in his room.

Her brows furrowed as she continued downstairs.

Where could he have possibly gone? He was in no condition to go far.

He just always seemed so restless, even if he was completely exhausted.

She blinked, taking in the light from the corridor that led toward the library. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at the sight. He really was as much of a bookworm as she was.

Her steps slowed as she neared the light. She peeked inside and bit her lip as they quirked up at the image that met her.

Draco was leaning over a desk with papers spread across the surface, a book slipping out of one hand and a pen in the other. What really stunned her were the pair of wide lense glasses perched on his nose.

He was nearly asleep it seemed, but not so far gone that he didn't notice her after a moment.

He blinked and reached beneath the frames to rub at his eyes before he pulled the glasses completely off.

"I'm not sure I should even ask how you managed to get down here." She said softly as she walked the rest of the way to his desk.

He shrugged, shutting the book in his hand and placing it atop his mess of papers.

Her eyes drifted to the glasses still in his hand.

He caught her gaze and placed them atop the book he'd just abandoned.

"S'for this nighttime eye strain I have." he said.

"And to think you made fun of Harry all those times." She teased.

He smiled weakly, but it was gone as soon as it graced his features.

She frowned. It seemed so unlike him to be this quiet...to be this withdrawn.

"Draco." She said reaching her hand out to grasp his arm.

He shifted away from her, sighing as he brought both his hands up to rub at his face.

"What's the matter?"

She dropped her hands to her lap, clasping them tight together.

He shook his head.

"You don't have to stay." He said hoarsely, "Go back to sleep. I'm probably going to be down here for awhile."

She shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere. Besides, you should probably be sleeping too." She bit her lip, "Really Draco, what's the -"

"Why?" he interrupted, his voice so low it was nearly a whisper, "Why do you do that? Why do you care?"

She sat back, taking in the pinch of his face and the clenched fist he had at his side.

"Why does there have to be a reason?"

"There does." he said, his voice rising, "I'm…." He cleared his throat. "I'm everything you should hate. I lie. I sneak around. I...I have something dark and ugly in me Hermione. I told you before, 'myself and nasty'."

"I am not an angel and I will not be one till I die." She suddenly quoted.

He clasped his jaw shut, dropping his eyes down to his clenched fist.

"And I'm not perfect either." she continued quietly, "I'm bossy. I come off overbearing. I can be narrow minded and vindictive." She took a breath, "Christ Draco, part of the reason we ever got...close was because I had this crazy need to just figure you out."

Draco seemed to sink into himself, and she could see the shutters to his eyes close as he clenched his jaw.

"And what did you see? A'll I ever see is my past and my mistakes."

She felt her heart clench and chest tighten as his shoulders slumped and his head bowed to regard the table with unnatural fascination.

She was overcome with this immense feeling of loneliness. Like something had been broken in him a long time ago, and he'd finally been overwhelmed enough to show it.

She wondered what had triggered it, and thought that perhaps part of it might have been how close he'd been to death's door. It had to have left a scar that ran deeper than the one on his arm. Yet, something had pushed him over.

She pushed her thoughts away, forcing herself to focus on the now instead of the train of her ideas.

She'd find out slowly, after she'd managed to clear these dark and terrible thoughts from him.

"Those who feel themselves despised do well to look despising."

Draco perked up, looking at her curiously.

When he said nothing, she cleared her throat and continued.

"You are you Draco." she said softly, "and you aren't the first person to make mistakes." She willed him to meet her gaze, and as though sensing her desire, he did.

"If we can't come back from the mistakes we make, then what is the point?"

It was a breath later before he replied.

"What if I can't? What if I've gone too far?"

"You haven't."

Her response was automatic, and it seemed to shock both her and Draco, though for two entirely different reasons.

She leaned over and tentatively placed both her hands to each side of his face.

Her thumbs traced his cheekbones, the ones so sharp she'd once thought he could cut glass against them.

"You're so much more. Haven't you realized you're so much more?"

A stray thought flitted across her mind, one that whispered the answer to the overpowering sensation lodging itself between her ribcage.

She ignored it, too frightened at it's true meaning before she did one of the most impulsive things of her life.

She kissed him.

Hard.

He stiffened before he wrapped his arms around her and began to reciprocate.

 _Please let him understand._

He groaned into her mouth, pulling away to catch his breath. He lent his forehead against hers.

"You're bloody amazing. You know that." he whispered.

She let out a breath.

"You're not too bad yourself."

He laughed shaking against her, his face wide and relaxed into a smile that she'd never seen on him before.

His eyes were shining with emotion she couldn't begin to place, but something else caught her eyes and drew her attention away.

"Merlin." she whispered, a grin tugging at her mouth as her fingers drifted to the one dent in his cheek that she'd never seen before.

"You have a dimple."

He froze, pulling away as one hand came up to his cheek where said feature had been.

"No I don't." he said stubbornly.

She marveled at his rapid mood change, and she couldn't help but think he looked incredibly adorable in his denial.

She pecked him quickly on the lips.

"I like it." she breathed, threading the fingers of one of her hands with his.

The tips of his ears reddened, as he cleared his throat while tightening his own grip on her hand.

She smiled slightly, as she stood and pulled him slowly to his feet.

Wordlessly, she led them both out of the library and then up the steps, pausing when his balance seemed shaky and his breath tight.

"You alright?" She whispered when they'd finally made it to his room and he collapsed onto his mattress.

He breathed, the movement of air making a rasping sound in his throat.

"Ok...just a little winded."

She dropped beside him, turning to her side as one of her hands went to mess with the fine strands of his hair.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about."

He shuddered beside her, and she thought he had every intention of ignoring her question.

"We destroyed the horcrux."

Her hand stilled an inch from his hair.

He folded inward toward her, burying his face in his sheets as he began his tale. It was near torture to remain silent and not interject every so often. She had a feeling that if she did, he wouldn't resume it.

She pulled him closer to her, wrapping him firmly in her arms as his head huddled into her middle.

It's how he stayed, shaking and gasping for breath as the force of his emotions came over him. When he finally calmed and the story was through, they didn't separate. The thought didn't even cross her mind as her grip remained strong and her own lids grew heavy as the need for sleep came back to her.

His breaths were hot against her shirt as he spoke softly against the fabric.

"I don't deserve this."

Breath.

"I don't deserve you."

She wanted to argue, vehemently in fact, that it wasn't about deserving. It never had been.

But even if it had been, he did.

Sleep tugged her deeper into darkness as her eyes closed.

You do.

You do.

You do.

If only he'd believe it.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you for all of you loves who left a review. You guys are amazing! Keep them coming :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco blinked as he took in the faintest rays of sunlight peeking through his just barely shut curtains.

He shifted slightly, stiffening as he was met with something warm pressed against his side. He turned his head, burying it into a spray of curls that brushed softly at his face while tickling his nose.

He sniffed, wrinkling his nose as he turned away and gently pulled himself out of Hermione's embrace.

He sat back taking in her sleeping form.

She really had grown. Of course he'd noticed long before now, but with the chaotic nature of his life the past couple of years he'd hardly given anyone more than a cursory glance before being drawn back into his own thoughts and plots.

There were hints of it though, back in fourth year when she'd undergone an absolute transformation into the girl with a hint of curves, full lips, and more manageable hair.

But he hadn't really appreciated it all until now, when he was sitting up in bed at some obscenely early hour after a rather terrible few months and rather traumatic night completely mesmerized at the simple sound of her soft breaths that were warming his side.

When had she become so beautiful?

He rubbed at his face.

And when had he realized it?

Better yet, what was he doing?

He'd never allowed himself this kind of emotional intimacy with anyone. Yet, here she was….Hermione Granger, the one person he'd found himself giving more of himself to than anyone in his entire life.

Even more terrifying was that he didn't think he wanted to stop.

He'd just begun to taste what it was like to be….

Accepted.

Protected.

Valued.

Understood.

The last worth more than any of the others if he was being completely honest.

He let out a breath, coughing slightly at the tightness ever present in his chest. The sound didn't seem to bother her as she hardly stirred.

He smirked slightly oddly amused at how oblivious she was in sleep compared to how alert she was while awake.

Standing careful to not rouse Hermione or agitate his still healing body, he stepped and then came down to rummage through his drawer, grabbing a new inhaler and the coin he used to communicate with Theo and Blaise.

The coin flashed as he pulled it out, and he froze at the presence of words along it's face.

 _Need to meet. Info. Trace hurt. -T_

He swallowed roughly.

It must be truly worrisome if Theo was contacting him for help with Tracey. It meant it was bad enough that he didn't trust her to be healed well within Hogwart's walls and dire enough to go to Tracey so openly when they were both meant to be laying low.

 _Shack. Give me a few hours - D._

He nearly yelped in surprise when he felt the coin immediately heat again with another message.

 _Ok. B. is coming too. Apparently he's heard something. - T_

He sighed, pulling himself up back to his feet before wobbling over to his dresser and pulling clothes.

With one last look at Hermione, he slipped into his bathroom for a quick shower.

Gods knew when the last time he'd felt truly clean was.

Hermione was still asleep when he finished. A true feat as he'd nearly slipped and fallen far too many times for comfort in his mission to bathe and dress.

His left side was still not cooperating completely, and the exertion at having to complete motions that normally would have been so easy to make was leaving him breathless and on the verge of having a fit.

He lent heavily at the wall just outside of his bathroom.

He needed to keep pushing. He wouldn't heal if he didn't force himself to go through the movements.

Though, if he was a little less hard on himself, he could appreciate that he'd already made good progress. He was sure Healer Kendricks hadn't exactly thought he'd be walking so soon.

He could at least be proud of that.

He sighed letting the water drop down from his fringe and onto his shoulders that were still bare from his shower.

Wincing at the sight of his scarred chest he fumbled around for a shirt.

"Wait."

He froze.

Hermione blinked looking at him intently with a bit of confusion on her face.

Like she was unsure she had spoken.

She slipped silently from the bed and came to stand in front of him. Her one hand went out and as though seeking permission she looked up and waited for his hesitant though obliging nod.

Her fingers traced lightly the two scars he still had on his front from the Sectumsempra before moving down to the occasional bits of uneven skin at his ribs from where they'd been broken and healed so many times before.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resisting the urge to shiver as she seemed to explore and learn each and every one of the silvery marks on his body.

She kept one hand to his front and the other going to his back.

He heard her gasp at the small thin scars at his back, noticing perhaps how numerous they were despite many having faded over before new ones had been acquired on top of them.

"I argued once with my father...with Lucius. I was maybe 13?" he said keeping his eyes closed, "I drew my wand and everything just went downhill. We both got so angry...and he'd already been drinking that night. He hurled a spell, not really thinking about it, and knocked me off my feet and into a mirror in the room. It shattered." he took a breath, "That's the older set."

"And the others?"

He said nothing and he could practically see though his eyes were closed the pitying and pained expression of her face.

Her fingers dropped from his back and went lower on his chest to his abdomen and ending at his hips.

"What's this?"

He blinked, looking down at where she was fingering the skin beneath the waistband of his pants.

He resisted the urge to smirk.

"Careful Granger, any lower and I'm going to think you're propositioning me."

She flushed before crossing her arms defiantly.

"You know very well what I'm asking about Draco Black."

He didn't know why but the sight of her scolding him and then just hearing her say his name was enough for a full smile to stretch across his face as he laughed hard.

Her anger seemed to melt away at his actions, her eyes alight as she took in the mirth that so rarely pulled at his features. She seemed to linger at his cheek; at the dimple she'd declared she liked before she dropped her gaze down to his hip.

He continued smiling slightly at her curious expression and pulled the waistband of his pants down slightly more so she could take in the entire picture.

She studied the tattoo curiously before her mouth parted into an 'o' shape and she quickly looked back up to meet his gaze.

"Constellations."

He nodded slightly.

"Canis Major, Draco, Andromeda, Cassiopeia…" She said softly identifying the star patterns mapped into his skin, twisted together in the shape of a globe. Her breath caught at the last. "Gemini."

He hummed in answer. "My zodiac and...and home to the star Narcissus."

She looked up at him questioningly, and before he even knew it he was speaking.

"It was an act of rebellion during 5th year. I…I wanted a way to have my family despite not being able to openly."

Her mouth parted to say something but he interrupted her by moving his hand up toward the ceiling and letting a picture of the night sky seep out and cover the paint.

"And I was growing too old to be doing this every time I went to bed."

She glanced up in wonder at his small enchantment.

"I suppose that's one benefit to having a family that only picks names from the night sky."

He smirked as he ended the spell. His breath caught as he took in her gaze that at had once more fallen to his exposed chest.

He fiddled with the shirt in his hand, moving to put it on when she once again stopped him.

"You don't have to be ashamed of them." She said softly, "Not with me."

"They're hideous Granger. You can't possibly see them as anything but." He said stiffly, again attempting to slip into his shirt when her hand came up and caught on of his arms.

"I see them as your victories."

He snorted.

"I'm serious."

He searched her face for some kind of lie and felt oddly warm when he found none.

"You survived them all."

He found himself unconsciously leaning forward, wanting so badly just to kiss her. Only, he couldn't.

Despite everything she'd said and every argument she made, she was and would always deserve someone better than him.

He was twisted and very much self-destructive. He was his own greatest enemy, and his pride and his obsession consumed him. He had plots he was in too deep to abandon, and she was just the kind of unplanned factor that could get them both killed.

She was dangerous.

He'd always thought so, and he'd indulged in the sin that was her for much more than he deserved.

He pulled back, slipping his shirt over his head and running a hand through his hair to right it once more.

"I think they just show I'm damaged goods figuratively and literally."

He moved to step passed her to leave the room when she once more reached out and grabbed both his arms before he could so much as move a foot.

He winced slightly at the force of her grip and blinking back the tears that automatically formed due to just where she'd gripped him on his left side.

"You can't just go." She said forcing him to meet her gaze, "You can't nearly kiss me and then turn your back on me in the same second. You can't just shove this away and pretend it never happened."

Oh but he could. Difficult but not impossible.

As though she could discern his thoughts from his facial expression alone, she hardened and continued her tirade. "You can't just be the bad boy who likes to snuggle or the one who plays anti-hero like that's all he's ever known. You can't just tell me all these things and act like this and not realize…." her voice cracked for a second before she closed her eyes and composed herself.

"What is it you want?" She said forcefully, even stomping her foot slightly as she spoke.

The sight was so childish that he had to forcibly stop himself from grinning at it. It had made her seem so refreshingly adorable.

That question though. It made his heart pound and his vision blur, and like his brain had short circuited he had his answer echoing in his ear.

But he couldn't say that.

He clenched his fists, wanting very much to be the one to stomp his feet and just scream from the unfairness and cruelty of it all.

 _Fuck you Blaise. I know what I want, and I know I shouldn't want it._

Instead, Slytherin as he was, he answered her question with one of his own.

"What is it you want?"

From him.

From this.

From everything.

Her expression softened at the turmoil playing out on his.

"For a smart boy, you sure can be daft." She said. "I helped save you didn't I?"

And maybe there was some Slytherin in her because that answer practically ripped him to shreds.

"But you can't." He suddenly felt helpless, because all of his ideas for how to simply let her go involved her being less deep than he was.

"You can't." he repeated, "Not me." He tugged at the strands of his hair in frustration.

"Why not Draco?"

"Because everything good I've ever had breaks eventually." he said without even pausing to censor his words. "I lost my mother to death. I lost my dad to revenge. I lost my mum to circumstance and the man who raised me to greed. I...I lost my family, my few friends, and nearly my life to my own ambitions. Hermione, you can't...you can't possibly want me."

She looked up at him, her face calm as she dropped her hands from his arms and used them to cup his face.

"Don't you know better than to tell me what I want?"

He tried to laugh but it caught in his throat, sounding too much like a sob for his liking.

"I want you. You. Like I know you want me."

She lent her forehead on his as her fingers traced his cheekbones.

"Gods Draco. Lie to the world, but don't lie to me."

He couldn't help it then. He had to kiss her the same way he knew he had to breathe.

His hand curled around her waist pulling her against him as the other automatically went to the side of her face tilting her by the jaw upward.

He paused just before her lips, his breath hot on them as he waited. This was her last chance.

"Kiss me." She whispered.

And those soft words finally broke his resolve as he very nearly attacked her. She did something to him, this witch, made his head spin and his bones quake.

Gods did she taste like heaven.

He parted his lips at her tongue's brush against them and took the opportunity to slip his in turn.

She moaned into his mouth breaking for a moment and leaning her head against his chest.

"This makes you mine you know."

He blinked in surprise and looked down to find her gazing at him with an intensity that forced air out of his damaged lungs.

"So now I'm a possession?" He teased at her bluntness as his one hand went to twist around the curls falling over her shoulder.

She hummed. "Oh yes." She teased before adopting a more serious expression, "But only if you want to be."

He lent his head to rest on hers speaking in barely a whisper near her ear.

"As long as you'll have me."

She grinned in response, pecking him lightly.

"I will."

* * *

Hermione sighed, leaning forward against the table watching Draco engrossed in some history book. The plate at his side had been largely neglected except for the few bites of toast she'd forced in him.

Healer Kendricks had been strict in her diet. Breads, porridge, oatmeal, soup, and a few choice fruits and vegetables until she could find time to properly run tests over him.

Draco didn't seem to care much about the restrictions, but then he didn't seem to care for eating in general at the moment.

The fact that his appetite still hadn't returned was troubling, but she supposed it was bound to eventually.

She'd just have to make sure he didn't starve before then.

He shook his head as he read on, furrowing his brows in concentration as he muttered to himself.

She'd managed quite a few secrets from him. His thoughts...parts of his plans that he seemed willing to divulge.

He thought there was a horcrux at Hogwarts, something that had given her pause. Harry had assumed as much as well, but she'd chalked it up to his own attachment to their beloved school. Draco; though, seemed like he knew it for a fact.

He wouldn't say how and he wouldn't say where, but the more he seemed fixed on his decision the more she found herself believing him.

In a way it made sense, Voldemort had held a deep fascination and bond with the school. It had been the setting that signaled his true escape from the awful world he'd been raised in.

It had also been the place he began his rise to power.

The more she thought about it the more it seemed to her that Voldemort was rather ironically sentimental in a brainwashed and deranged way.

"You keep staring."

She blinked at his voice meeting his smirking face.

He really did look the part of a charming bastard.

Tousled hair and that infuriating pull of his lips.

Trouble on legs.

"I was just thinking." She bit her lip, "that you need to start eating more."

His brow rose as his smirk seemed to widen.

"You won't get your strength back if you don't" She continued.

He was calling her lie, she could see it dancing in his eyes, but at last second he nodded solemnly in acceptance.

"I probably should." he agreed with a shrug of his shoulders, "But I don't think I can stomach any more dry bread. It would have to be something else."

She very nearly beamed and jumped in excitement at his desire to want to eat anything at all.

"Let's go down to the kitchens then and see what we can find." She said standing and pulling him up quickly.

He shook his head at her antics but obliged her.

He refused her offered hand as they walked, adamant that he could manage on his own.

He could, but it was slower and pained.

His need for independence was admirable, but he really needed to learn to accept such gestures of help.

She'd have to work on him for that.

She nearly came to a halting stop at that thought. Her cheeks flushed at the implication that she now was in a position to do just that.

The urge to press her fingers lightly to her still slightly swollen lips hit her then. It was a reminder of all that had happened.

He'd managed to break her heart and heal it; fill her with fire and leave her cold and wanting, all within 24 hours.

Hers.

She'd said as much and after his initial resistance he'd caved.

He had such a strange and misplaced sense of nobility and understanding of who he was.

He was so inclined to pick out the negative automatically that it seemed like a rather prominent learned behavior that truly sickened her. It was a kind of insecurity that had probably been bred much earlier than their time at Hogwarts after which it had only festered and been fed from multiple sources.

It was nearly enough to drive anyone mad with need, but he hadn't allowed that.

No.

Control.

He had exercised such self control on that front.

His step faltered slightly, and he leaned against the wall just before the kitchen door. His chest rose and fell quickly at the exertion; her ears already picking up a hint of a wheeze in his breath.

"Ok?" she asked him carefully.

He nodded, brushing his hand across his forehead so that his fringe was pulled to the side and exposing a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.

"Just a little winded." He said softly, "I think I need some of those morning potions Kendricks prescribed."

She bit back the automatic response to correct his informal address of the Healer, and instead simply nodded. He took another breath before pushing himself off and walking the rest of the way into the kitchen.

He coughed slightly when he reached a counter, leaning once more against a solid foundation before saying lowly that he was heading down to pick some things out of the potion storage.

The urge to get the potions herself was strong, but seeing his expression and knowing his need to not be pitied or babied she let him go.

Ironic.

She'd always taken him as the kind to bask in attention and mothering whilst injured back at school. But then, those had all been superficial injuries for the most part.

He'd never said much or asked for attention for the big things.

She supposed there was only so far he could entrench himself into the lie he'd created for himself.

He had always seemed incredibly private over personal matters, and personal limitations and extensive feelings, including pain, were surely a part of that.

Her eyes drifted around the kitchen as she moved, opening cabinets in search of something else to offer Draco that complied with Healer Kendricks's diet.

Nuts of any sort were out, as were eggs and a few other stray foods that he would be tested for sometime in the week.

She finally settled on fruit from the choices she knew were approved. She'd nearly filled two bowls completely when the sound of stray voices flitted into the kitchen from near the cellar door.

Carefully, she stepped toward the source of the sound and paused a ways further from the scene at the steps.

Draco was lingering in the frame of the doorway, flushed and grasping a few potion vials in his hands as he argued with Sirius, who was standing not even a few inches from him.

"You need to rest. I'm not even sure how you managed to get yourself all the way down here-"

"I need to move around. It's not going to get any better if I refuse to exercise and strengthen the muscles." Draco said his jaw clenched as he stared up at Sirius. He was fighting to stay calm it seemed, despite the slight tremor of his body.

"You don't have to push so hard. Just take it easy for a few days." Sirius reached out to take a hold of Draco who shied away at the motion.

"No. You can't just lock me in a room and expect me to be ok with that." He said with the barest hint of a tremble in his words.

"If It's for your own good." Sirius said tightly.

"No!"

She recoiled at the force in which Draco had nearly yelled the answer.

"No." He breathed, his eyes glassing over as his whole body seemed to tense and shake while his mind seemed a million miles away.

"No you can't. You're not supposed to be like…." Draco shook his head furiously.

She stepped cautiously closer, Sirius darting his head to look at her desperately.

"Please don't lock me up. Please don't. Please." Draco nearly whimpered as his breathing seemed to quicken in panic.

Closer now, she reached and took the vials out of Draco's hand, an action he barely registered. He ignored her and turned to Sirius.

"Please. Please. I'm sorry. Please don't lock me away again."

Sirius looked horrified and seconds away of being sick at what Draco was implying.

"Talk to him." She said to him, "He doesn't even realize I'm here. You have to calm him down."

She held Draco up, feeling his body began to slip downwards for the floor as he coughed in between his quick gasps.

"Draco."

Draco looked up quickly at Sirius, who had seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. He reached out and paused only when Draco seemed to flinch at the movement.

"I'm not going to hurt you. If I had my way no one would ever hurt you again." Sirius said finally reaching completely out to comb through Draco's hair and cup his hands around his face.

"Come back Draco." Sirius continued softly, "You aren't there anymore. I promise no one is going to lock you away." His lips twisted into a slight expression of disgust at that before resuming his calm and gentle speech.

Draco shook in her grip, coughing so much that it nearly shook her along with him.

She reached into his jeans, ignoring the blush at such an intimate action and pulled the inhaler that she knew she'd find. She shifted Draco into Sirius's arms before crouching before him and counting softly.

"1, 2, 3...Breathe in and out ok Draco." She said shaking the inhaler in her hand.

He seemed to recognize her presence and nodded dumbly as he attempted to comply, breaking the rhythm she'd set only to cough.

"Ok good." She murmured, putting the inhaler to his mouth and puffing in the medicine and clasping her hands over his mouth.

He struggled for a moment, but closed his eyes and seemed to swallow in the medicine, calming slightly.

She brushed her fingers through his hair and let her hands rest around his neck as he leaned forward to rest his head on her shoulder.

"Draco?" She asked tentatively after a few minutes.

He hummed in response.

"You had a panic attack." she said continuing in a soft voice. She hated to have to put him on the spot now, but they had to address it. It would be better for it to be acknowledged and out in the open.

"I know." He snapped pulling abruptly away from her before recoiling into himself.

"Sorry." He muttered, rubbing his face, "Sorry."

She shook her head reaching out to still his hands. He didn't meet her gaze and instead turned to his father with a defiant expression.

"You can't lock me up." He said sounding oddly meek for the picture he painted.

"No." Sirius said solemnly, "Never."

Draco nodded looking relieved and completely drained, "I think I need to sit down for a bit."

Sirius immediately complied, bringing an arm around Draco's waist to hoist him up and leading them both to the kitchen table.

She watched as the need to ask questions welled in Sirius, and if she were honest, also herself. He said nothing though, helping Draco into a seat.

He surprised her when he wordlessly offered Draco the fruit she'd put out before summoning the vials she'd placed on the ground after taking them from Draco.

These too, he placed before his son. He turned away then, rummaging amongst the cabinets in search for the coffee grounds as he hummed a familiar tune.

Draco seemed to relax at the familiar and starkly normal behavior as he reached out and clasped a fork before beginning to pick at the bowl.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding before taking a seat and starting to eat from her own bowl.

She'd get answers to those unspoken and terrifying questions when she was sure he was recovered and better able to offer them.

For now, she would just take the victory of getting him to eat and not to immediately shut down following his episode.

They were baby steps, but they were important ones.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they truly make my day reading them. Reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

The first moment he could he excused himself from the kitchen. He'd picked at his food, played it cool, and the minute he felt some energy return to his numb body, he left.

He couldn't believe it.

He hadn't panicked like that in front of anyone since Pansy walked in on him near the end of 5th year.

Oh Fuck.

He pulled at his hair in frustration.

It had just been the way that Sirius had said it...those exact words even if the intention was oh so different, it had set him off. Suddenly he wasn't in the newly remodeled kitchen of Grimmauld Place, but rather in the Manor being locked in or locked out.

The perpetrator always differed. It had been a favored form of discipline by Lucius when he was younger. Though after he'd been locked out of the Manor for two hours after a particular childish refusal to come indoors following which Narcissa had found out about it from his telltale cold that had developed and the particularly awful case of bronchitis is had morphed into. She'd forbidden it after that, and frankly from Lucius's guilt he could have guessed it wouldn't be repeated.

Though it wasn't like it was the last time. He'd spent many a night in the dungeon thanks to his Aunt Bella's belief in trauma as a motivator.

He squeezed his eyes shut, shoving that memory into a corner of his mind and erecting firm walls around it.

He had no time to waste. Panicking and remember bits and pieces like that were going to do no good now.

He fumbled around his room, grabbing various supplies and shrinking them to fit into his pocket.

He let out a breath, and slipped into a jacket and casting a few special glamours he'd been meaning to test.

Quite a twist really, you'd only be seen by those you wanted to recognize you.

He grabbed his wand and shoved it into his pocket and was just about to call for Kreacher when a knock sounded at his door.

Fuck.

He quickly slipped off his jacket and threw it on the chair by his bed just as Hermione came in looking a little cross and dressed as though she was about to go on some sort of trip. The whole look was complete with a beaded bag that reminded him of something Walburga Black may have owned at one point or another.

Her brow rose as she crossed her arms.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving without me."

He scowled. He needed to go. He had no time to waste, and he certainly didn't need to spend what little he had of it arguing with Hermione.

"What are you doing Granger?"

"Where are you going?" she countered, pressing her arms even closer to her chest.

He rolled his eyes without saying anything and grabbed his jacket.

"I won't be long, just a short trip. Nothing dangerous." He said before he called softly for Kreacher.

"You're mental if you think I'm letting you go anywhere alone...like this." She gestured to him, "For Merlin's sake you don't even have a scarf."

His brow rose as he looked at her with a confused and incredulous expression.

He was running off of strengthening potions, and she wanted to lecture him about wearing a scarf?

A crack sounded as Kreacher apparated into his room looking a little unsure at the scene he'd found himself in. The old elf's eyes were darting between Hermione's narrowed one's and his no doubt furious ones.

"Master Draco's called?" he asked hesitantly.

He ignored Hermione's warning expression as he bent down to Kreacher.

"Kreacher if you could please take me to Hogsmeade." he began before Hermione's voice sounded and took away any hope he had of continuing.

"What on earth do you need from there?"

He closed his eyes and took a short calming breath.

" Kreacher?"

The little elf nodded enthusiastically, and Draco took his outstretched hand.

"Draco, what-" Hermione said reaching for him.

He tried to shake her off, but at that moment she seemed to grasp both him and Kreacher just as the world spun.

He shut his eyes and when he opened them again, he nearly growled in frustration. He glanced around noting the bit of trees they's landed between, and peering around the trunks he made out the beginnings of a village.

His heart sank as he recognized the houses.

This was the muggle village to the east of Hogsmeade.

Fuck.

She'd thrown off Kreacher's apparition.

He watched her stumble to her feet, looking around anxiously. At the least, she didn't appear splinched. He could count himself lucky on that account.

He just hoped that no one of any importance was monitoring magic that closely in the area. They were fortunate they hadn't apparated right in front of any muggles. That would surely have alerted the Ministry, which was as good as a death warrant these days.

He rubbed at his face in frustration as he made out Kreacher babbling out an apology.

"It's fine." He snapped before softening his expression and turning to face the poor elf, "I certainly don't blame you Kreacher."

Out of the corner of his eye he made out Hermione looking slightly guilty at being the cause of the old elf's distress, though that faded the second she met his gaze.

She certainly didn't regret tagging along.

Stubborn witch.

He bit his lip, considering his options.

He could order Kreacher to take her, which didn't guarantee that she wouldn't just find her way back perhaps in the company of the other two thirds of the Golden Trio or worse...his father and Remus.

Or.

He could cave and allow her to join him. Again, not ideal but revealing her presence even with a glamour to Theo and Blaise was better than being discovered by Sirius, especially when he'd lied not a half hour ago about going back to bed for more sleep.

"It's alright Kreacher." He said reassuring the elf once more, "I'm sure Miss Granger didn't mean to mess up your apparition and land us nearly at the doorsteps of a bunch of muggles."

Hermione snorted from behind him, and he resisted the urge to smirk.

"But c'est la vie." He continued, "Thank you Kreacher. I'll call for you if we need anything."

Kreacher bowed not entirely convinced he was being genuine before he excused himself and disappeared with a crack.

He sniffed, the cool air of fall in Scotland now catching up with him along with something that was making his nose itch.

He held back a groan at the sensation. There was just something about the forests here in this part of Scotland that didn't agree with him.

"Ok?" Hermione said quietly coming up to stand in front of him.

"Perfect." He said tightly before turning on his heel and heading toward the village.

He heard her scamper to follow him, grateful at least that she hadn't already begun bombarding him with questions.

"We're going to have to walk through this village and into Hogsmeade. I don't want to draw that much attention to us by apparating again unless we need too. Magic that extensive could be being monitored."

She nodded in understanding as they fell into an easy pace walking through the trees.

"I can't believe you threw off Kreacher's apparation." He muttered, suddenly finding the entire situation far more humorous than he should. He laughed silently regarding Kreacher's horrified expression. Seeing his laughter, Hermione attempted to glare at him before she broke and giggled softly.

He shook his head, his sniggering turning into low coughs that grated against his throat. He winced, sniffling at the building congestion that was beginning to press against his skull previewing the headache he was already fastly developing.

She looked at him before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"You're so stubborn." She murmured harshly, taking her own scarf from around her neck and transfiguring it into a plain black one to match his jacket. She fussed over him, making a big show of wrapping it around his neck.

"Do you want to get sick?" she cast him a look.

He bit back his grin and let her continue to berate him. It was endearing, how maternal she suddenly became.

"If I'm going to get sick, I'm going to get sick. Not much I can do about it." he teased.

"You don't have to make it so easy." She pouted.

As if to prove her point, he felt his nose itch in a familiar way. He turned his head just as the harsh sneeze that had been building up since they landed in this forsaken forest ripped through him.

"S'excuse" Sneeze. "Me." He managed before he sneezed twice more.

She shook her head in exasperation before taking out her beaded bag and pulling out a small pack of tissue that she placed firmly into his hands.

"Thanks." He sniffled accepting the tissues.

"See." she said with her brow raised.

He rolled his eyes and turned his back to her as he delicately blew his nose, blinking at the tears pooling in his itching eyes.

"It's not that." He scowled before tapping his nose, "It's my stupid allergies."

Her mouth parted in understanding before she frowned in question.

"To what?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. I'm not exactly going to scour the forest looking for it. It's just one more thing that makes it harder for me to breathe."

She grimaced. "I'm sorry."

He gave her a funny look before he shook his head. What did she have to be sorry for?

It wasn't like she was in any way responsible, and no way was this a new occurrence for him.

"S'fine." He said running his index finger under his nose. "You don't have to worry so much you know."

Her brows furrowed, and he bit his lip to keep from grinning at the sight. He put the pack of tissues she'd handed him into his back pocket before grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers.

"Let's just keep moving alright?"

She nodded in response as they took off toward the sound of the village.

* * *

She stole another glance at Draco, unable to keep the worry off her face as she took in the labored sound of his breathing.

His face was blank, but every so often she'd catch him clench his fist as he stepped.

She'd be surprised if he didn't have some sort of persistent neuropathy lingering as an aftereffect from the curse.

The one he'd only just managed to get broken.

That same curse that he really should be resting and recovering from.

He sniffed, rubbing his nose with his wrist.

She bit her tongue.

He really didn't need to be pushing himself this hard.

Her eyes trailed across the small village before a green sign drew her attention.

"Wait." She tugged his hand and forced him to a stop before pulling him in a new direction.

"Granger, what…"

"You cannot go on like this." She said as she looked inside of the small supermarket and brightened at the sight of a small over the counter area.

"We're getting you some medicine."

He scowled and looked ready to protest, but she quickly cut him off by dragging him inside and immediately toward the display.

"Hermione, we really don't have time."

"Draco." She looked up at him not even bothering to hide the plea, "You're already treading on thin ice, not even recovered from…" Her voice dropped. "From that awful curse. You don't need to be in unnecessary pain or get a sinus infection on top of that."

He looked away, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"Especially for some secret yet important trip that you still haven't told me about." She huffed under her breath.

She tightened her hold on his hand and brought it up to her lips, pressing them to his knuckles.

"Please?"

He looked up, his fringe kissing his long lashes as his eyes shone from beneath them.

"Ok." he said quietly.

She smiled slightly kissing him quickly on the cheek before pulling him down the aisle as she grabbed an array of mild pain relievers and allergy medicine.

"They have so many." Draco muttered as he grabbed one of the packages in her hand and read through the label.

"They're all actually pretty similar." She said over her shoulder as she, on impulse, grabbed a multivitamin and added it to her growing collection.

It really couldn't hurt.

By the time she was through, she'd managed to get him a rather impressive cocktail of medicine to take.

A fact that he didn't seem pleased about.

They reached the front of the register and before she could even dig into her purse for her muggle money, Draco fished into his pocket and pulled a wallet. To her surprise, he counted out the bills for the right amount and accepted the change before grabbing their purchases in one hand and entwining the other with hers.

He led her outside and to the side alleyway by the store where he proceeded to read through the bottle directions before taking out tablets and popping them into his mouth.

"You paid."

He blinked, swallowing the pills.

"Well it was all for me."

She shook her head.

"No. No I meant. You have muggle money."

And knew how to use it.

He smirked slightly. "Well, what kind of super spy would I be if I didn't know a little bit about everything?"

She rolled her eyes as he chuckled softly beside her.

With a quick glance around them to make sure they were alone, he shrunk the bag and she placed it inside of her purse.

"Apparently a very good one." She murmured as he laughed lightly, turning to cough when his breath ran away from him for a moment. He let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples as they turned back onto the main street; pain still lacing his steps.

She bit her lip before taking an arm and wrapping it around his waist, huddling herself closer to him as they walked.

If he realized what she was offering, he didn't comment.

Though when his arm snaked over her shoulders and she felt some of his weight settle on hers, she couldn't contain that small smile that spread across her face.

"You told me before that you knew about the muggle world, but I just didn't expect for you to be carrying around muggle money." She said as they walked, now nearing the edge of the muggle town and bordering the thin stretch of forest that separated it from Hogsmeade.

"I know enough to not make a fool out of myself." he shrugged, before turning away from her to cough. He winced before stopping and fishing his inhaler out of his pocket.

She resisted the urge to grimace at the rasp in his breath before he inhaled in the medicine.

"You know." She said then, "I'm not sure what the magical equivalent is, but muggles, when one of their organs fail, they get a transplant."

Draco looked at her questioningly, prompting her to explain what precisely a transplant was. By the time she was through, he looked a little green and something between horrified and fascinated at the procedure.

He shook his head, rubbing his stuffy nose, simply digesting all that she'd told him.

"There's a way to regrow them. The person is administered a potion while under a stasis charm. It's actually quite risky. Mum considered it for me." his eyes grew distant, "But the the procedure wouldn't have helped the damage in my airways or around my lungs. I think when it came down to it, I was only going to see a 10% benefit if any at all. The subject was dropped pretty quickly after that."

She nodded in understanding as they slipped back into silence.

Draco shook his head, murmuring about just how invasive muggle medicine was before he took her hand and led them onward.

They bypassed most of Hogsmeade, staying near the fringe and grasping for any stray conversation that would clue them into what kind of situation they'd landed in.

There were patrols around the town, and some sort of curfew that had made Draco pale once they'd learned of it.

"He's making it a center." He muttered pulling her to the side.

He sniffed before turning and sneezing softly into his arm.

He wrinkled his nose in distaste before pulling her forward.

"I think you're right." She murmured digging in her bag and pulling out a foil of allergy medicine for him.

He grumbled something intelligible before growing lost in his thoughts.

She wasn't much better.

Having such tight security in Hogsmeade was excessive even for a paranoid egomaniac like Voldemort. He was protecting something. That thought alone pointed heavily to a possible horcrux at Hogwarts.

Her thoughts were broken as Draco turned them sharply to the right, and she realized with a start that she knew where they were going.

"The Shrieking Shack." She said pulling on Draco to stop his movements.

He licked his lips seemingly nervous at her deduction.

"Who are we meeting?" she asked.

He sighed before leaning against one of the nearby trees.

"Three people…." He trailed off, "I suppose you'd say they are your allies."

Her brow rose.

"Theo, Blaise, and Tracey, who may or may not be fit enough to hold a conversation." He continued growing slightly agitated.

He fumbled in his pocket, pulling a gold coin out and fiddling it in his hands. She caught sight of words flashing across its surface, and she nearly tripped as she pulled away abruptly after her realization.

"Protean Charm."

He froze before meeting her gaze. Seeing no malice and only confusion, he smirked slightly and nodded.

"Inspired by your lot actually."

She was impressed and when she extended her hand, he didn't hesitate before dropping it into her outstretched palm.

The message was short; only an update that they were heading toward the shack now.

"Are they…"

"They are my eyes and ears when I can't be in certain places." He said with a mischievous grin. His eyes though gave away his true thoughts on the sentiment behind that statement.

Pained and sadness.

He'd left a lot behind by faking his death.

Had she been in his position, she doubted she could have done it so quickly and easily.

"Let's go." She said after he seemed to catch his breath.

She was suddenly incredibly excited for this little meeting, and, she cast a glance over to Draco, he really needed to be done with this and get back to resting.

* * *

He cast a disillusionment spell on the two of them right as the shack came into view.

He half expected a protest from Hermione, but she made no complaints at his actions.

"I'd like to let them know you're here before you reveal yourself." He'd given her a rueful smile before casting, "I don't think they'd believe it was me if we both just walked in together."

She cracked a smile at that, but any other facial expression quickly disappeared as his spell took hold.

He winced at the end, his arm briefly pulsing in discomfort at the display of magic.

He took a breath before adding the noise muffling spells for their feet and finding Hermione's hand he tugged them both forward and into the shack.

It had been cleaned recently, he thought idly taking in the walls and stray furniture that no longer housed the customary layer of dust he'd come to associate with this place.

That wasn't the only changes. There were stray books, potion kits, along with supplies that he recognized as amongst those he'd passed on to Blaise before.

Someone refreshed the paint on the walls and repaired the holes in the floor.

"It looks nearly habitable now." Hermione whispered beside him.

His gut tightened at that. It was, and the reasons for making it so were quickly flashing at the forefront of his mind.

Had it really gotten that bad?

He dropped his disillusionment spell, edging closer into the room.

He let go of Hermione's hand, pulling his wand and spun fully into the room, placing his wand in a threatening manner on the neck of the figure bent before him.

He recognized Theo, though he kept his wand firmly in place.

"Where did we spend the summer before 5th year?"

Theo let out a thin laugh.

"Where didn't we spend it?" He shook his head, not turning to look at Draco before continuing, "We started in Marseille where we had quite a religious experience exploring the Malfoy vineyard before crossing into Spain and getting lost in underground Barcelona."

Draco smirked before dropping his wand and pocketing it.

"I wouldn't call it a religious experience." He said with a teasing lilt to his voice.

Theo grinned. "Why not? Weren't you visited by an angel in white sheets?"

He flushed, suddenly hot and all too aware that Hermione was charmed invisible somewhere in the room.

"I have no idea what Trace sees in you." he muttered.

Theo rolled his eyes before leading him forward into the room and then to the side where a mattress had been placed holding a hunched over solitary figure.

Tracey Davis was certainly a beauty on a normal day. Caramel colored skin with hair that fell curled in soft auburn brown waves.

It was a shock then, to see her so pale and her normally calm and happy face pinched in pain.

Her shirt had been pulled up, exposing her lower back where a particularly nasty looking purple bruise was marring her skin.

She hardly seemed aware of them or herself for that matter.

"Oh Merlin." he muttered before turning sharply to Theo, "I didn't think this is what you needed me for. I can't do-"

"You can. You're much better at these kinds of spells than I am Draco."

He shook his head, feeling a familiar sort of tightness threatening at his chest.

"No. No. I'm shit at this type of magic." He said, hoping he didn't sound as frantic as he felt.

He was lying, and not with a really convincing one at that. But he just couldn't heal anyone anymore...not after-

"You're not. You keep trying to convince yourself that you aren't, but Draco not everything you touch is going to break. No one is just going to die by being near you." Theo's voice dropped.

Damn him straight to hell, but he'd never know how Theo could just know such things or understand the way he thought. Perhaps it was because of their shared background and the experiences that had resulted from having a parent so entangled with the dark.

Though, he knew it was more than that, at least in this instance.

Theo had been there.

At that revel.

With that one muggle child.

Yet, here Theo was essentially telling him he didn't blame him and trusting him once more with another life.

"You're not some angel of death." Theo said quietly, "You're a person who happens to be extraordinarily talented with magic and damn good with healing charms."

Theo looked at him pleading openly, "Just help her."

He didn't even say anything, dropping to examine Tracey more. His wand slipped easily into his hand as he began a series of spells.

"How long has she had this?"

Theo shook his head, "I don't know. She didn't start complaining about it until the other day, and I tried my hand at it then. Only." Theo bit his lip, "I think I just made it worse. I brought her here after."

They slipped into silence as he worked. It was so easy to fall back into the motions. He hadn't done a single high level healing spell in over a year, but he found it didn't even show in his casting.

His rhythm was only broken to summon some potions, and by then he was very nearly dead on his feet.

The magic was demanding, and his wounded arm was burning at the exertion.

By the time he felt Baise join them, his lids were growing heavy.

He slipped into a seat, willing himself to stay awake. "Mate please tell me you have something for me."

Blaise shot him a look, studying him intently. Several questions seemed to flash through the other's eyes many of which were riddled in concern. He must look about as good as he felt.

"Blaise." He snapped, drawing him back to the present.

Blaise blinked before sighing. The disapproval in his dark gaze was practically seeping out into the air.

"What you wanted to hear...it's true." Blaise began, "She's been at least 3 times in the past two weeks. New security was added on two of those visits."

His heart pounded.

"Any chance you know what they were?"

Blaise shook his head. "All I could get out of them was that it was nothing too dark. Just a few tricks."

That meant his aunt had already placed her main protection spells before hand.

It also meant she was confident enough that she didn't feel the need to reinforce them. .

She didn't expect anyone to challenge her work.

Fuck.

"And were their any goblins open to...negotiations." He licked his lips slowly.

Blaise winced.

"There might have been, but now...one of them's gone missing. You can't speak to any of them."

"Missing?" He frowned, running a hand through his hair.

"Some higher up one too. Said he took off about a week ago." Blaise's voice dropped, "It was after one of Bellatrix's visits."

His eyes widened.

Had the goblin recognized the sword Bellatrix had deposited as a fake?

It was a stretch, but possible. Yet, why leave if that was true.

Perhaps no one believed him, and the goblin had been scheming to figure out just what was at play. It wouldn't be the first time that a creature had taken interest in the affairs of humans. But then, the goblins were claiming neutrality with that only tipping in favor of the more valuable and viable side.

He bit his lip.

They had to find the goblin, or at least why he'd left.

"Name?" He finally asked.

"Griphook."

He winced.

He knew that goblin, he handled many of the vaults in the old corridor of Gringotts.

"We have to find him. Figure out what he may or may not know."

Blaise nodded before crossing his arms. "Mate you're not serious about…"

"I've never been more serious in my life."

Blaise scowled.

"Do you get a kick out near death experiences, or are you just hoping that eventually one of them will stick?"

He glared at Blaise. "I'm a Slytherin Blaise, all about self-preservation. I'm not ready to die just yet."

"But if it comes down to it, you won't care." Blaise hissed, "It's just that luck has been on your side and spared you."

"Funny." He stepped closer so that they were eye leveled with one another, "I usually bring bad luck." He flashed Blaise a rueful smile that he knew would irritate the other to no end.

It was working it seemed, because he could already see the sparks in Blaise's eyes and the way his hand was gravitating toward his wand holster. He wanted to hex some sense into him that much was obvious

Any other day he might have welcomed it.

A good duel.

A rush of adrenaline.

An outlet for everything just bottling itself inside him.

But at the moment, he was nearing the end of his strengthening potion induced energy all the while feeling both hot and cold every minute or so.

Though, even if he did not welcome it, it didn't mean he wouldn't fight.

He had his authority to maintain.

Theo edged between them, shoving them both apart before casting a silencing spell around them.

"Alright enough." Theo said staring at them both hard. "Let's just shove to the side Draco's more or less suicidal tendencies."

He growled at the implication.

Theo ignored him and continued, "What I want to know is why you look like you've been to hell and back, and why you brought someone here and still haven't introduced us?"

Draco scowled, waving his hand to break the silencing spell.

"Granger." he said softly, as he leant heavily against the wall, "Come out."

He heard the other two gasp from to his right as Hermione broken her Disillusionment charm and stepped forward.

She smiled sheepishly at the two other Slytherins before coming over to him; practically sensing his waning sense of balance.

"You need to rest." she muttered, grasping his arm when she noticed him slipping.

He had no time to stifle the hiss he let out at where she'd gripped him. She loosened her grip before pushing up his sleeve to check his wound.

The bandages were still firmly in place, only now they sported tiny spots of red. The skin around them was flushed and slightly swollen, and he felt uncharacteristically sick at the sight.

An infection for sure.

 _It was still bleeding_ , he thought idly.

"What the bloody fuck?"

Theo exclaimed, his green eyes darting between Draco, Hermione, and then dropping to look at the bandages in sight.

"Still think he doesn't have suicidal tendencies." Blaise muttered.

"He doesn't." Hermione said harshly before dropping his sleeve and whirling around to face Blaise head on.

"He's just been in really terrible situations he nearly couldn't get out of." she said crossing her arms.

Blaise shook his head in disbelief.

He could see Theo was half a second away from arguing with Hermione and letting him have it for his secrecy. Blaise looked no better. He needed to take back control.

"Alright." He said sharply, ignoring the prickling at his neck... where they being watched?

"I was cursed, and I went to their side and brokered an alliance. They helped me with this." He held up his arm, "And I'm helping us both get what we all want."

He let out a breath.

"Now, is there anything else you found out?"

He had a feeling then that had Hermione not been with him, he would have met with more vehement arguing with Theo and Blaise. As it stood, they both fell silent, glancing at one another before seemingly coming to some conclusion.

Theo still looked conflicted as he stepped forward, his gaze traveling toward Hermione before he sighed and faced him.

"I talked to the Grey Lady."

His jaw went slack as Theo continued.

"I was on patrols, and I happened upon Lovegood chatting it up with her. She was calling her Helena and naturally I put two and two together rather fast."

"Helena Ravenclaw." Hermione breathed.

Theo spared a nod in her direction before he resumed his story, "So of course, I wait until Lovegood's done and I swoop in. I ask if she is actually Helena Ravenclaw and start laying on the praise thick. I go on for a while before mentioning in passing that it's a shame how such great witches and wizards like herself and the founders didn't leave more behind for us to treasure and learn from."

He edged closer, feeling that same prickling sensation at his neck. He shoved it away, letting his hand drift to his wand before turning his focus back to Theo.

"And she laughed, telling me I'm not the first handsome snake to stumbled in her path, and she wouldn't fall for it again. Something about the last one taking her mother's crowning glory and turned it into something poisonous."

He'd been right.

It had been something of Ravenclaw's that made up the horcurx at Hogwarts.

But that phrase. Crowning glory…

"I told her I didn't know what she was talking about and thanked her for speaking with me and that I hoped to do it again." Theo shook his head, "She laughed at me again and said that we snakes always go into the eagle's nest, but we never commit."

He tuned the rest out.

Crowning glory….

He'd heard that before, but it was such a long shot. The stories all claimed it was lost.

"That might have been bitterness on her part." Hermione mused, "After all there were so many rumors about why Ravenclaw refused to reveal the paternity of her child. Many speculated Slytherin himself…"

He shook his head, closing his eyes tight.

The Diadem was said to be lost forever, but it fit it all perfectly. Helena must have known it's location and told Voldemort himself...She'd said that she'd told someone something valuable.

A Slytherin.

And Voldemort had certainly been a Slytherin capable of turning a priceless artifact into poison.

And it would have been simple to hide it away then in the Room of Hidden Things later.

A vision of the room flashed before his eyes, and his heart nearly stopped at the recollection. There had been a crown in the room of junk, placed right on top of a ghastly statue he'd contemplated breaking when his frustrations at the cabinet were threatening to spill over.

"It is there. Ravenclaw's diadem was in the room the whole time." he said.

They all went silent.

"Ravenclaw's Diadem was lost Draco." Blaise said flatly.

He shook his head. "It's there. I saw it more than enough when I was in there working on that fucking cabinet."

Theo looked nervous for a moment then.

"If that's true, we better hope Pansy hasn't spotted it and become intrigued."

At his questioning look, Theo explained.

"She's been plotting lately."

His brow rose.

"Pansy plotting is nothing new Theo."

"This is different. She's been asking questions, frequenting places you used to go. She even commented in passing that the wards at the Manor didn't feel any different."

He paled.

"It's only a matter of time before she decides to act on her assumptions, and frankly I don't think she's the only one. I've heard things about Lucius's behavior that don't add up either." Theo said.

He felt his stomach churn at the mention of the man who raised him before that same sensation forced the small hairs at the back of his neck to stand straight.

He moved and without a word reapplied his Disillusionment charm. Out of the corner of his eye, he made out Hermione beginning to do the same.

Though, her action wasn't fast enough.

The sensation of being watched gave way to the sounds of light footsteps before an angry growl followed.

He nearly shook at the sight of Alecto Carrow walking into the room from the tunnel and taking in, with her hard glare, the sight of Theo, Blaise, a peacefully sleeping Tracey, and a half disillusioned Hermione.

"What do we have here?" She said, her voice grating against his ears as she spoke, "Two members of noble houses, a half breed." She sniffed looking at Hermione with unconcealed disdain. "And a mudblood."

He could practically see the muscles of Alecto's arms tightening and readying to put her wand to use. He could anticipate the first spells that would follow.

He could see how terrible that would end.

She may be outnumbered, but Alecto was fierce, borderline deranged, and hardly won a duel by fighting fair.

So he moved, and in near seconds, he was at her back with his own wand at her neck.

She stiffened against him, feeling the press of a wand at her throat, but unable to see her attacker.

"Drop your wand." he growled, purposefully thickening his voice to rough it from recognition.

Alecto complied, dropping the piece of wood at her feet that he promptly kicked over to Blaise, who pocketed it without a word.

"How'd you get in here?" he said.

"The Headmaster was kind enough to inform us all about this wonderful little path." Alecto spat, "But imagine my surprise when I see two _students_ frequenting what is supposed to be a secret passage. It is suspect, isn't it?" She laughed then, shaking in a way that made Draco question just how much her sanity had slipped in the months since he'd last been forced into her company.

"Cowardly to hide behind a charm isn't it? You can't be Potter then. He's far too stupidly transparent." Alecto hummed.

"It's not too cowardly if you're at my mercy." he hissed, sending a shock through her that brought her to her knees that he promptly bound together.

Alecto tilted her head in wonder.

"Not that Weasley boy either. Hot head and no ability to be deceptive."

He nearly snorted at the idea that he could be Weasley.

Alecto sniffed before letting out a throaty sigh.

"Hmm...but that scent, I know it from a lifetime ago. It belonged to a rather delicious looking wizard who sat across from me at our table."

He said nothing, but his silence seemed to be answer enough for Alecto, who fell to another string of giggles.

"Oh but silly me, he's but a ghost now. Isn't he Malfoy?"

He pressed his wand deeper, pushing his mind forward into Alecto's. Her walls were hard, but they were filled with cracks. Ones that he had no problem exploiting.

She thrashed against him.

"Out. Out." She exclaimed. "Out of my head."

He pushed deeper, searching and taking in all that he could before he moved to withdraw.

Just as he was pulling out, Alecto pushed against him and though she didn't make it through she still felt him.

She went nearly limp against him.

"It is you." She breathed, "I recognize it."

He was about to stun and obliviate her when she beat him by speaking.

"What are you doing in hiding you filthy traitor...have you no pride, no backbone." She laughed then, "But how could you with a father like Lucius. He's a living ghost in his own Manor. And your mother, so much like fucking ice and how she's cracked-"

"What are you fucking raving about?" he raged.

"And he speaks. At Narcissa's fall no less."

"Don't toy with me Alecto." He hissed. "What's happened to Narcissa?"

"What hasn't happened to her." She cackled.

Before he could say anything, Alecto went quiet and fell at his feet.

Hermione scowled at the woman's slumped form her wand still out in front of her.

"Obliviate her." She said stiffly.

He wasted no time, but the whole while he was raging. When he succeeded in implanting and twisting her memories, he turned sharply to Theo.

"What have you heard?" He hissed at Theo, who looked chastened.

"Mate. I haven't heard much, but it's not-"

"Fuck." he stumbled out of the shack. "Find out. And Tracey'll stay asleep for another hour. I left some potions. One every 12 hours."

He didn't wait for a response before he tore out back into the forest with Hermione at his feels. She didn't have to move fast, his anger gave away rather quickly and his steps grew more restrained as he tiredly made his way out of the outskirts.

They were nearly at the muggle village when she finally spoke.

"Don't be rash Draco. Be calm-"

"They're torturing her." He hissed, unable to even maintain his illusion of calm.

"My mum is being tortured in her own home, how am I supposed to be calm?" he growled, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I know." She winced, reaching for his hand, "But you can't just storm the Manor. It won't end well."

He tried to pull himself out of her grasp, but at the moment he was blind in his rage and tired from everything else. Her grip didn't even loosen, though he could see her trembling. From what, he didn't know.

"Calm. Calm. We have to stay calm." She murmured over and over to herself before dragging him near the supermarket they'd gone to to get his muggle medicine.

To his surprise, she pulled them to the counter and asked the clerk for a pack of Marlboro's

She payed quickly and before he knew it, they were back outside and Hermione had a cigarette in her fingers.

She took one long drag before closing her eyes and relaxing as the nicotine seemed to calm her. It was a fascinating sight really. He'd never thought the image of Hermione Granger smoking a muggle cigarette would spark such quakes in his chest.

She let out a puff of smoke before opening her eyes and offering up the cigarette to him.

He hesitated.

The wrong move apparently, because her face hardened.

"What, afraid of my germs now?" SHe snapped, her nerves obviously still fried from their rather action packed past hour or so.

Her question confused him, because surely she knew that he was not even remotely that person any longer.

A reminder then so that she would remember in the future. .

He took the cigarette into his hands.

"I can't believe you're offering a cigarette to the boy with bad lungs." he muttered and as her face morphed into one of realization he took one long shot of the smoke before nearly immediately puffing it out. He let the feel of the smoke soothe him before he turned and coughed lightly into his arm, offering the cigarette back to her.

She looked horrified muttering apologies before putting the cigarette out on the brick of the building they were leaning against.

He waved off her rambling.

"It's fine. I forget sometimes too. I'm more curious about why you thought of smoking as a way to calm down."

She blushed, dropping her gaze to her shoes.

"My grandfather used to. I suppose I grew up thinking the smell was comforting, despite how bad I know it is for you." she murmured before looking up, "And you needed it. We both did."

"I'm getting her out." He said harshly.

To his surprise, Hermione merely nodded.

"Of course, we'll do it together." She said taking both his hands into hers and drawing herself closer.

"But please. No rash moves. You just broke one curse. I don't want to have to see you suffer a second."

He folded wearily over, dropping his head tiredly to rest on hers.

She hummed, kissing his nose lightly before dropping lower and pecking his lips.

"Ok?" she asked.

He sighed, willing away his hot anger and rage in favor of his rationality.

She was right, as she usually was.

He nodded his assent.

"Good." She whispered hugging him tight as he apparated them both back to Grimmauld Place ideas for plans already filling his mind.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hopefully that's the case with this update! Thank you to all who reviewed. All Reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

He slumped against her as they landed. His legs nearly giving out as they both fell onto his mattress.

He closed his eyes tiredly and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I need to think." he muttered to himself.

"You need to rest." she said firmly. She let her hands comb through his hair and down to his neck soothingly.

He relaxed, though he still seemed lost in idea after idea.

How he had the energy was beyond her.

He was pale from the exertion, and his breathing was still shallow and labored. She sighed leaning her head on his shoulder, picking up the abnormally fast fluttering of his heart.

And of course there was the fact that bandages at his arm needed to be changed.

He was in no shape to do anything. Frankly, he hadn't been in any shape to go out at all today.

But Draco was defiant if nothing else.

It made for a dangerous combination.

Drive, a cunning mind, and knowledge that was equaled in only one other.

All her life she'd wondered if she'd ever meet a single person who could match her point for point only to discover that she was with one particular boy.

A boy who took his mind and used it like a sword.

"I can't believe this is coming from me, but." She said softly pressing light kisses to his closed eyelids. "Turn off that brain of yours for a bit."

He let out a puff of air that sounded suspiciously like a laugh before fluttering his lids to meet her gaze.

"I can't. I have to-"

"Draco." She interrupted, taking his hand into hers and squeezing firmly.

"You don't have to carry all the weight of that worry by yourself. Not anymore."

She bit her lip.

"I'll help you, but right now please just get some sleep. You're no good to anyone if you're sick and sleep deprived."

He looked like he wanted to argue, and she was already preparing possible rebuttals to anything he might say when he sighed forcefully and fell back onto the bed with a soft thud.

"Ok." he murmured.

"Wake me if anything important happens." he said bearing his eyes into her.

She resisted the urge to shiver and nodded in reply.

His expression softened and he came up and pecked her lightly on the lips.

"Such an odd bossy know it all Gryffindor." he said fondly before kicking off his shoes and slipping gracefully out of his coat.

"Such a stubborn ferret prince of Slytherin." She returned.

He laughed softly at that, letting her drop the covers over his form. She lingered with her fingers at the edge of his face, noting the warmth of his skin.

She hoped that didn't mean the probably infection at his wound was flaring up.

He hummed in response, cocooning himself in the blankets.

She smiled slightly before quietly making her way out of his room and back into the hall.

She wrung her hands together before coming to a decision.

"Kreacher." She called softly and not a second later the elf in question appeared with a crack before her.

"Miss Granger." Kreacher said, bowing his head slightly in greeting.

She was so thrown at the exceedingly polite address that it took Kreacher clearing his throat for her to focus enough to make her request.

"Yes." she shook her head as though to clear it before giving a warm smile to the elf. "Kreacher I wondered if you wouldn't mind doing something for me."

He inclined his head to study her.

"If Miss needs Kreacher to do something than she needs to ask what it is first." he answered diplomatically.

"I'd like for you to watch Draco."

Kreacher flashed her a confused look.

"I left him to rest and I want to make sure he does get it." she said. She looked away suddenly overcome with great guilt at her last request. "I'd like to know if he tries to leave Grimmauld."

She chanced a look at Kreacher, who was regarding her as if she were some fascinating new puzzle he didn't quite understand.

He seemed to recognize the enormity of the request as well as the meaning behind her vague wording. He nodded to her before bowing.

"Kreacher wills do it Miss Granger."

"Thank you Kreacher." she said with a forced smile.

The elf nodded once more before disapparating.

She sighed, shedding her coat before tiredly leaning against the wall in the hall.

She could use another muggle cigarette right about now. Her anxiety and guilt were threatening to drown her.

It was a moment later that she felt another presence join her and somehow she didn't have to look up to know who it was.

Tonks eyed the jacket in her hand before sweeping her inquisitive gaze to the flush of her face.

She noticed, with a start, that Tonks had a variation of those same eyes...the Black family eyes, only hers were bright, clear, and full of much more blue than the storm gray that her cousin bore.

It was such a paradox really. He looked like he could hold the force of a winter's storm in his eyes whilst other times it was like they were ablaze; remnant of the heated ash that was left after the flame.

An even greater irony when attributed to him personally.

The icy Prince whose first memory was of burning.

She shuddered visibly at the thought.

"What happened?" Tonks finally said.

"We left for some things." She said carefully before morphing her face into a defiant and closed off expression, "He was going with or without me."

Tonks nodded, not surprised at her declaration in the slightest.

"Did the others notice?" She hesitantly asked.

Tonks shook her head. "I've been fielding questions when I noticed the two of you gone, but for the most part everyone's been busy." Tonks's face hardened, and for a moment Hermione feared Tonks's anger.

This woman was a trained Auror no matter how her normally happy and caring personality overshadowed it.

"With what?" She managed.

"They instituted a Muggleborn Registration law." Tonks said with disgust, "And Dad's been...he wants to leave. Go into hiding. Mum's publically known and...he thinks it would be safer, but…" Tonks placed a shaky hand at her abdomen and Hermione felt her heart shatter for what surely must be the millionth time in the past month.

Tonks seemed to notice her unconscious action and shot her a weak grin, keeping her hand firmly on her stomach.

"I suppose you know about this then." She laughed hollowly.

She resisted the urge to wince.

She nodded, "Congratulations."

Tonks looked at her before she seemed to come to some decision based on what she saw.

"Thank you." she said quietly, "At least you're not pretending when you say it. Most people have just looked at me with overwhelming pity."

Hermione bit her lip before dropping her gaze to the hard wooden floors of the house, studying the smooth way the boards seemed to fit right together.

"Well...there has to be life after this right? We have to have some way to hope."

"Exactly." Tonks whispered, forcing Hermione to bring her gaze up to meet the other witch's.

The stood silently then, each one of them lost in their own thoughts and worries.

"There's something else isn't there?" Tonks finally said after a moment.

She winced, clasping her hands tight together.

"I think Mrs. Malfoy might be in trouble."

Tonks's breath hitched.

"Tell me everything."

* * *

Tonks was somewhere between deadly terrified, worried, and outright scary.

Auror training was something else.

"We need to talk to Sirius." Tonks said as she led them both downstairs. "And Mum might know things about the Manor…"

She found herself nodding along with all she was saying. Logically, she was right. This was above them, and the more people involved and offering input the better their chances stood.

She wasn't about to let Draco storm the Manor alone no matter how much he may want to.

They were just stepping down to the ground floor when the Floo roared to life and an angry set of voices could be heard.

"Where is he?"

She glanced to Tonks with a puzzled expression on her face.

Snape?

"What on earth could you need to see him for right now?"

"To reassure myself that all this time in a house full of brash Gryffindors has not caused him to lose his mind."

She darted into the room and sure enough Snape was glaring at Sirius with one of the most fearsome expressions she'd ever seen on his face.

And that was including the time an accident involving Neville and Seamus had resulted in an explosion in the potion ingredient storage.

At her entrance, he whirled to face her.

"Miss Granger perhaps you can explain the scene I happened upon today." He growled, advancing upon her.

"Now hold on Snape." Sirius said putting himself in front of the other.

Snape snarled at him before pushing passed him.

"Explain Miss Granger why I found two sorry excuses for wizards half dragging a stunned Alecto Carrow and Tracy Davis using one of the poorest excuse for a silencing spell that I've ever seen." He hissed, "Do you have any idea who else could have come across them? Has my godson lost all sense of caution from your cavalier do good bleeding hearts or has he simply gone mad?"

She flinched.

"Hermione." she resisted the urge to shrink away from the fury of Snape's gaze and the barely restrained anger on Sirius's.

"Professor." She began, "I stunned Carrow. Draco only wiped her memory."

Snape's jaw clenched.

"And why in Merlin's name were you both in a position to do either? On Hogwarts grounds no less."

Her heart pounded. What could she say? What possible explanation could she offer that would satisfy them while not betraying Draco's trust?

"Stop attacking Hermione."

She stiffened and all of them turned to Draco, who was now edging into the room slowly with one hand resting on the top of his left leg as he moved as painlessly as possible.

"She only followed me." He said clenching his jaw as he ignored Sirius in favor of Snape.

Snape whirled to face Draco, his gaze hard and full of that unrestrained fire. Draco clenched his jaw as he returned the gaze without blinking.

"Stop trying to get into my head." Draco hissed, "You taught me after all, _godfather_."

Snape's fury seemed to morph into cold anger, eerily similar to that of an upset parent barely restraining from giving their petulant child a true verbal lashing.

"I had to make sure for myself that you haven't forgotten every lesson I've taught you. You've clearly disregarded my repeated attempts to teach you caution."

Draco said nothing, keeping his gaze steady on his godfather.

"I am well aware of the extensive skill set you possess, but this completely reckless behavior, wandering onto a patrolled and Death Eater occupied area is insanity."

Draco took in a sharp breath before clearing his throat to speak.

"I was going for information. Nott changed the location and I couldn't very well argue when he presented me with Davis and asked me" His breath caught, "asked me to heal her."

She studied him then.

What was it about the act of healing that shook Draco?

She'd caught it before. The near panic at Theo even asking and even now the gravity of having to admit to it…

Had he failed to heal someone before?

Or did he not think himself truly capable. He seemed convinced his talents lay in destruction and not creation.

Snape stiffened, his eyes widening in surprise as he racked his eyes over Draco's form before his gaze softened marginally.

"You healed her." Snape said lowly with a tinge of fondness and...pride.

Draco hesitated before dipping his chin in a small nod.

"Carrow interrupted us. Hermione stunned her, and I wiped her memory."

Snape looked at him before letting out a sigh, seemingly aging ten years as he did so.

"You will be the death of me and yourself." He said lowly before sighing once more.

"Was the information worth the ris-"

"Why didn't you tell me about Mum?" Draco snapped instead, his own latent anger briefly coming to the surface as his eyes flashed dangerously at Snape.

"Even if I had what good would it have done?" Snape said, "You've been ill, and the situation with Narcissa has only recently changed for the worse." Snape's face softened more as he seemed to struggle to speak whilst also comforting Draco, "He has not locked her in the dungeons. The sessions are sporadic, coming and going with his mood."

"And that makes it excusable? I told you to get her out. Send her to France."

"And what of Lucius?"

"I don't care. If he's forsaken her to this fate, then he can face the consequences alone."

"Draco."

Sirius stepped hesitantly toward his son, and she was overcome with the sense that the action was perhaps the wrong move to make.

Draco dropped his eyes to the floor as his jaw clenched and a throbbing vein appeared in his neck.

"We will get to Cissa, but we need to think and gather all the information. We can't storm Malfoy Manor with no idea what to expect. It's-"

"How would you know?" Draco looked up then, his tone laced with a venom that was reminiscent from the days she knew him as Malfoy.

Draco shook.

"You've never saved anyone in your entire life." Draco snapped before his eyes widened in horror at what he'd spoken. "I didn't...I'm sorry. I didn't mea-"

Sirius clenched his fist.

"Despite that. Going in ill-prepared and misinformed won't help anyone. I understand it's hard to stay calm, but you're in no shape to be making daring rescues. For Merlin's sake you're just-"

"A child." Draco interrupted, and his absolute rage at the title seemed to shake him so much so that she was certain she could already feel the air thickening with magic.

"I haven't been a child since I was 10 years old." He said, his voice low and icy before rising to a near shout, "And this child fucking saved you."

She froze at that, and it seemed everyone else in the room did as well. The only person who didn't seem surprised and shocked to silence from it was Snape, though his disapproving expression showed just how he felt about it.

Sirius looked pale and vaguely ill as he opened his mouth to speak.

Draco; however, somewhat recovered from his unintentional revelation beat him to it.

"The Ministry. Department of Mysteries." He looked at Sirius before turning away quickly, 'How else would you have fallen in the other direction...and I was only 15 then."

Draco spun on his heel before practically racing out of the room.

She felt her legs grow weak.

He'd been there. That night. She still had nightmares from that battle, and she'd never once thought about how Sirius had miraculously avoided the veil…

Draco.

Would he ever stop surprising her?

She rushed after him, catching Tonks murmur about calling for Andromeda as she fled the room.

She looked around before the sound of voices caught her ear.

"Oi ferret if you put Hermione in danger again I'll -"

"Believe me Weasley of us all I think I'm the least likely to lead my allies, let alone my friends, to the slaughter."

She slowed a few steps from where Ron and Draco seemed to be staring one another down.

"That theme seems to run in your family." Draco said moving to push past a rapidly reddening Ron.

She had to stop this before it escalated. She moved and somehow managed to push the two apart by standing firmly between them.

"Enough." She said quietly looking from one to the other. Ron seemed exasperated and just slightly confused while Draco...Draco seemed torn before his face went blank, and he left them both without a word.

She watched him leave, each of his footsteps until she could no longer hear them cracking something in her chest.

"Why do you defend him?"

"He didn't do anything Ron. I went with him. He didn't want me too." She spun, folding her arms as she glared at him, "And I can defend myself Ronald."

Ron looked at her for a minute before shaking his head.

"It doesn't give him the right to act like the bloody King, ordering us all about and making vile comments."

She winced, conceding that Ron did have a point there, but this one time…

"Ron." She said softly, "How polite or sane would you be if it was your mum being tortured in her own home?"

* * *

He didn't know how he managed to race his way up to the roof, taking steps two at a time and barely registering the scream his muscles made with each movement.

Damn his temper.

Damn his chaos.

How could he have let himself say so much…

He rubbed tiredly at his face before slumping onto the ground and glancing up at the sky.

The sun was just setting and soon he'd be able to gleam the source of his namesake.

He suspected someone to come after him. He supposed in a way someone had.

Hermione.

She hadn't seemed reproachful when he'd lashed out at Weasley...though he could see why she wouldn't.

He didn't want pity, but it seemed that was mostly what he warranted these days.

He was exhausted, and he was unsure how he was even still functional at this point especially for the great effort it seemed to be to simply keep his eyes open and manage the rise and fall needed for a breath.

He needed…

Space, time, energy.

It was all beginning to blur together the longer he stayed looking up at the beginnings of the starry night.

The door to the roof eased open, and he turned his head to catch the sound of the footsteps.

By the time the figure stood before him, he was sure he'd placed it.

Sirius let out a breath before dropping to join him on the ground.

"Your mum used to like coming out here too. She'd bring you up here so often that you'd just start smiling the minute the door to the roof came into view." Sirius said, keeping his eyes fixed up a the stars as he spoke.

"She seemed convinced you'd learn to fly before you learned to walk for all you enjoyed looking at the sky."

He felt compelled to speak then, but his throat seemed too narrow to even bring in air let alone allow speech.

He nodded, swallowing roughly before he could speak.

"I've seen some pictures." he whispered.

Sirius looked both pained and happy at that fact.

The happy seemed to win out though.

He'd done so well to avoid actually discussing the intimates of who Lena was as a person rather than a distant figure that he supposed any sign of learning about her was considered healthy in Sirius's eyes.

Sirius furrowed his brows then, stealing a quick glance at him before drawing his eyes once more up to the sky.

"Do you blame me?" He asked quietly, "About Lena?"

"No...Yes. I don't know." He let out a breath. "Sometimes I do. Most of the time...I just think if it hadn't been then it would have been the next time or the time after that."

Sirius inhaled sharply at that.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to apologize enough for..for all of it, leaving you to grow up the way you have. But Draco." Sirius turned to meet his eyes, "If something happened...if things happened back then, I want you to be able to tell me."

He shook his head, bringing his knees up to clasp his arms around them as the drop in the temperature seemed to finally be registering in his damaged nerves.

"It wasn't all terrible. Lonely, perhaps neglected, but...Mum made it manageable and even Father." Sirius winced at that. "Lucius." He corrected, "He had his moments."

He lent his head back as he idly began to trace the constellations he knew instinctively...like knowing how to blink your eyes open to see.

It was a distraction through, and he'd been taught to not linger on those for long.

"It was never really bad until later...when _he_ came back."

They both grew quiet then, and really the passage of time didn't seem to register until Sirius shifted and exhaled before speaking once more.

"I can't let you go after her. Not without a plan. Not alone. Certainly not while you're like this."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius ignored him and continued.

"And I don't care how many protests you have or how many pieces of evidence that prove your point." He rubbed at his face before focusing on Draco. "But I am your father, and while I've been rather bollocks at it for the most part, it's my job to make sure your safe above all."

Draco's heart hammered as he dropped his eyes to focus on the clasp of his arms around his legs.

"And I know I said I wouldn't lock you up, and I won't." Sirius stressed, "But I will find a way to keep my eye on you at all times."

Knowing who his father was and all he'd accomplished, Draco believed him.

The weight of the situation seemed to crash painfully fast onto his shoulders binging actual tears to pool in his eyes.

Maybe the timing was some contributing factor along with his ever present fatigue. But, his mind was a jumble and the most resounding image he seemed able to conjure was that familiar stone grave where a plot to the left was waiting to be filled. Even more so were those dates that were carved into the headstone.

Lena's birth was a date so close to the one they were currently on and her death had fallen in short weeks after...

He felt it would be just like fate to have him lose more on days he was already painfully reminded of all he could have had.

"Don't make me lose them both." He whispered before he could catch himself fast enough to internalize it.

"I… I can't. Please don't make me." He said, feeling his chest tighten as his body shook with silent sobs he didn't seem to have the heart to allow.

"Draco."

He shook his head, burying it in his folded arms as he surrendered himself to the tremors and hiccups of breath that he was managing to have in between.

The door to the roof opened once more and Sirius's familiar presence faded to another that he was instantly able to recognize.

"Oh love." Andromeda murmured not even hesitating to draw him up into her arms and stroke his hair.

She felt like her...like his mother. The gentle nature of her touch, her voice so painfully similar, and even the feel of her skin and warmth of her embrace.

He closed his eyes, and he could almost pretend it was Narcissa.

He felt guilty at it.

For his thoughts.

For Andromeda comforting him in his grief whilst she was in danger of losing her own husband due to the legislation of the monsters that occupied her sister's home.

She deserved better.

Ted Tonks deserved better.

Yet...fate and life were never about deserving or not.

He selfishly took advantage of her embrace and comforting words as she helped calm him to the point he could begin to collect the few pieces of himself that he still had to hold on to.

When his aunt finally did pull away, he found he didn't have it in him to leave the refuge of the roof just yet.

"Just a little longer." He murmured. "I just need a little longer."

Sirius looked ready to protest, but Andromeda placed a hand on his arm in warning.

"Of course dear." She whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his hair before taking Sirius and forcibly leading him off the roof.

He stared back up to the sky locating the star patterns whose names corresponded to people he knew.

"I'm coming for you." he murmured, "One way or another."

* * *

Hermione was quick to become concerned when Draco remained gone by the end of the second hour.

When Kreacher didn't appear with Draco in hand or with news that he'd left Grimmauld, she knew it was simply him needing space.

But enough was enough.

She had to see him. To talk to him. Offer him what little comfort she could possibly provide.

It may not matter much, but it was still her's to give and she wanted to give it.

Then she'd caught Sirius and Andromeda coming down the steps, conversing in soft whispers in a manner that indicated a closeness that borderlined siblings that she'd gotten her first clue.

Andromeda had merely looked at her and inclined her head up the staircase, and she'd understood.

So here she was, easing the door to the roof before tentatively stepping out into the cold night air.

Draco seemed to notice her immediately, rising to his feet but remaining where he stood across from her on the roof.

It hit her then that despite how much she thought she'd learned about him there would always be more.

He stared at her for a moment before growing agitated, folding his arms and pressing them up to his chest.

He looked like he wanted nothing more than to simply pace the rooftop.

"Talk to me Draco." She said.

He winced before letting out a shaky breath.

"I'm worried."

"About?" she pressed.

"Everything." He murmured racking his hands through his hair. "I'm just a bundle of chaos and that's unpredictable, and my luck is abysmal at best, but...but sometimes."

"Are you just scared that it will come down to you saving her, like it did today...with Tracey?" He looked away, "What is it about that that scares you so much Draco?"

"Because whenever I make a move it's one or the other. I played to save Sirius and a month later I try the same and this muggle girl dies." he said softly, stilling his shaking hands by forcing them into his pockets.

"I played for my mother and got death for myself." he eyed her before looking away, "Until someone else interfered. And if I play now, it's life. It should be anyway. There has to be some order to chaos, right?" he chuckled hollowly.

She shook her head too caught up in simply taking him in to note anything else.

He was intense.

Everything about him threatened to overwhelm the onlooker...his striking looks, the feel of his magic leaking out and charging the air, the drowning and intoxicating pull of his emotions when he freely let them come to his surface.

And his eyes. Those eyes. She thought she knew them, but it was in times like these when she seemed to drown in the darkness beneath those bright orbs that she knew she was nowhere close. Draco felt old. Old and forever changed, constantly on the verge of falling or simply flying away.

He struggled against his memories, his learned behaviors that she instinctively knew made him lethal.

Voldemort had wanted him.

The reasoning was twisted and perhaps that main one had been as punishment, but...he had seen what she had seen. There was no doubt in her mind of that.

Draco was a force to tip scales...when he decided to be.

The side who had him would be lucky.

Luck.

Now that was an odd thought.

He'd called himself bad luck, and she found she couldn't agree with it at all.

But he'd also called himself chaos, and for that she had no arguments.

Ironic since he sought control in nearly everything.

He reminded her of the myths she's devoured in place of fiction as a girl who was surrounded by strange occurrences and no way to explain them.

The side with chaos always won.

Because there are two sides to that coin.

Destroying and creating.

Draco had proved himself capable of both.

He was still standing far from her across the roof. Nose slightly red from the cold. The rest of him pale as the wind ruffled his hair. His sleeves had been rolled up to paw his hands. He looked like a boy, just an incredibly bone crushing breath stealing boy.

"Don't say that." she whispered, "Don't say that all you are is some chaotic mess of a boy."

He looked at her then, and she thought that if she had been able to take a breath this would have been the moment she lost it. He looked pained for a moment, fighting that war only he seemed to know about before she blinked and he was there. Both his hands around her jaw, pulling her to him like he needed her to make sure the thing in his chest continued to beat.

"Stay with me." He murmured, pulling her tight against him. "Don't...don't ever…"

She instinctively knew what he meant.

Don't leave.

Don't die on me too.

"I don't plan on it."

He let out a poor excuse for a laugh before drawing her up even tighter against him.

"Let's go back inside ok?" she whispered pressing soft and quick kisses to his chest. "The cold can't be good for you."

He nodded numbly, still not relinquishing his hold as he moved them forward to the door, dropping only one arm away to allow her to walk without being squished.

"We'll get her Draco." she whispered when they reached the door.

He winced, turning his head to take in the stars one last time.

"And I'll be helping." she took a breath before she attempted a weak joke. "And when have you ever known me to fail at anything?"

Draco's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Never." He said somewhat appeased as they drifted off the roof and down the steps toward his room.

All the while, she was practically praying that this wouldn't be the one time that would somehow make that fact not true.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I think I've settled into updating this story every two weeks (alternating with Descent) to keep it consistent. Thanks for everyone who reviewed. I can't believe this story has nearly a 100 already! Reviews always always = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote from Brave New World by Huxley.

* * *

He let out a breath as the Healer gave him one last once over, listening as the air crackled in his airways before he managed to draw in another breath.

He'd had a nasty flare up in his lungs the other day, and Sirius had taken it as an excuse to recall Healer Kendricks, who'd proceeded to run every test under the sun that she'd previously wanted and hadn't had the time to do.

If he ever had another allergy test, it would be too soon.

"Remember what I said." She said moving about to gather her supplies before glancing over her shoulder back at him.

He sighed, folding his arms to press them close to his chest.

"Yes. Yes. No almonds. No pecans." he murmured.

"And." She probed.

He let out a frustrated puff of air, wincing at the discomfort in his throat.

"And I still have to rest." he said sourly.

Healer Kendricks nodded in approval, though he caught a slight tug at the sides of her mouth.

He wondered what amused her; his obedient repetition or his obvious frustration.

"How's the walking?"

He stood slowly, resisting the urge to rub at his leg from the dull ache that was becoming rather familiar whenever he deemed to put weight on his left side.

"Better than before." he answered. It was about as honest as he could be.

A fact the Healer seemed to recognize.

"Keep doing the exercises I showed you." She said with an encouraging smile before grabbing her things and leaving his room.

He strained his ears and picked up Healer Kendrick's soft voice conversing with Sirius before both of them seemed to drift.

He let out a breath before falling back on the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger against the headache building beneath his skull.

He was antsy beyond belief.

One week and he still had nothing concrete.

Sirius, true to his word, had not let him out of his sight and before he could even think of drifting anywhere suddenly someone would be there.

Tonks.

Remus.

Sirius.

It was a combined effort that unfortunately was proving to be quite successful.

Not that he didn't know better than to just charge into a risky situation head first.

He was a Slytherin after all, and if he had anything going for him it was the ability to be as shady as fucking possible in order to come out on top.

His own plans, rudimentary as they were, consisted of sneaking into the Manor through one of the ancestral tunnels on the property. The minute he landed on Malfoy land, the blood wards would surely alert both Lucius and Narcissa to his presence.

Here it grew complicated.

Lucius would probably think himself mad and ignore the twinge the wards would produce at recognizing another of the bloodline.

Narcissa, though, she would know and would hopefully come to him when she could.

Then, depending on whether anti-apparation wards were in place...well his options grew limited.

Not the best of his plans, he would readily admit to it, but he needed something.

Though, he'd overheard talk of perhaps orchestrating some sort of meeting with Narcissa on neutral ground.

He snorted.

What on earth could be constituted as neutral ground now? It seemed everywhere he looked a side had already been chosen, like the earth itself had taken the blood spilled on that patch and awakened a primal force that distinctly marked the area as one or the other.

Either way; it seemed he would have no real say on what, if anything occurred, so he'd kept himself busy with other things.

Like what to do about the two horcruxes that he'd now confirmed.

Hermione had said nothing regarding what she knew, and for that he was beyond grateful.

The more he turned the idea around in his head, the more convinced he became that the one at Hogwarts may have to wait.

It was too risky to remove something that was no doubt being monitored. Hogwarts was under lock and key, and he couldn't bring himself to ask Theo or Blaise to put themselves under such risk.

He also had the slightest suspicion that should the horcrux at Hogwarts be destroyed, the Dark Lord was surely going to hear about it sooner rather than later and order the cup moved elsewhere.

Although the reverse was also true.

But getting the cup from Gringotts gave them a larger margin of time to go after the horcrux at Hogwarts than they'd have if they went for Hogwarts first.

He rubbed his temples in frustration.

The trouble was getting into Gringotts, and he couldn't afford attempting even the best of plans while he was still so depleted.

He'd give himself another month.

A month of rest, planning, and training.

It would also give time to track down Griphook or attempt negotiations with the goblins.

Griphook.

For the hundredth time he wondered what could possibly have forced the goblin into hiding.

He'd finally confided in Remus under oath about what he'd heard, and the other wizard had promised to do all he could to track him down no matter how confused he was on the matter.

It helped, he supposed, that the man was also tracking down Ted Tonks who'd fled with barely a word to his family in the dead of the night nearly two weeks ago.

His aunt had been devastated, and Sirius had promptly forced her to move into Grimmauld with them both for support, protection, and knowing that any news on her husband's whereabouts would come faster to them than it would to her own home.

He didn't know why but the whole affair had made him feel guilty beyond belief.

He'd gotten information on the possible law from Rowle, but he'd sat on it and said nothing.

Logically, he knew that it may not have made a difference in the grand scheme of things, Ted could have still made the decision to go regardless of his information...but at least Andromeda would have known to watch him, to fight harder to convince him to stay and merely take up residence at Grimmauld….

He sat up suddenly, his chest too tight and the need for air desperately forcing him into heaving for gasps.

He coughed, running his hands through his hair before resting them at his neck.

He needed to just breathe, lose sight of these walls for just a moment.

His options; though, were few.

Getting to his feet, he rummaged through his closet until he pulled from his drawstring bag a small figurine.

His shrunken broom.

He bit his lip, and before he could convince himself that this would surely not end well for him, he'd darted to his window and forced it open peering down at the yard below.

The magically expanded grounds of Grimmauld were nowhere near the grounds he'd grown up exploring in Wiltshire, but it was better than remaining indoors.

With one last breath, he climbed up to sit on the sill closing his eyes and relishing the feel of the cool breeze ruffling his hair and cutting through his clothes to grasp his bones.

Perfect.

Lena had thought he would fly before he could walk, and with a stab of pain in his gut, he realized that in so many ways she'd been right.

She'd known so much about him before he'd discovered it for himself, and yet...he'd never be able to do the same for her.

Shoving the thought to the side, he jumped from his window's ledge. His broom grew in his hand and at last second, he mounted it and shot straight back up into the air before his feet could even graze the ground.

He loved it.

Every inch of it.

Flying was as easy as walking for him. He'd taken to it so naturally that it had been enough to even please Lucius for a while.

Funny how time altered his perception of what that meant.

He kept his movements simple. His energy might have improved, but he was in no real shape to run drills.

Nor did he really want to.

He circled a few times before hovering over the house and glancing at the street below him.

His problems always seemed more manageable when he was looking at them from above.

He shivered as a gust of wind went through him, taking immense pleasure in the bite of the cold.

Closing his eyes, he let himself grow lost in the feel of the thin air around him and the next breeze to rustle his clothes and comb his hair.

He wasn't sure how long it took, but eventually he cracked his eyes open and with a heavy pit in his gut he nosedived toward the ground, gracefully coming to a stop and swinging himself off the broom.

He was so preoccupied with his movements, he didn't notice he wasn't alone until he heard a throat clear.

He whirled around toward the noise, stealing his face to bear no trace of guilt.

It all seemed for not when he did finally take in Sirius's expression.

There was a bright glint in his father's eyes as he smirked at him, letting his gaze drift all over his face to take in his wind mussed hair and the slight flush in his cheeks from the cold and exertion.

"You're a natural." Sirius finally said reaching his hand out in question to examine his broom.

Hesitantly, he dropped it into Sirius's hand, watching as he bent down slightly to take in the model.

Feeling incredibly awkward at the silence, he took a breath and spoke.

"Apparently I learned in record time."

Sirius looked up quickly a mix of pride and pain clear on his face as he handed him his broom back.

He almost wished he hadn't said anything at all, but Sirius had always begged to hear those small details of what his life had been before.

He wondered why...what good it really did when anything he said just served as a painful reminder that he hadn't been there.

He certainly hadn't been there to teach him to fly.

"I always thought you would." Sirius said with a rueful smile, "I'd put you on a broom and hold it steady and you'd just get this look on your face like you knew exactly how to do it and you wanted me to let go."

He couldn't help it, a small smile spread across his lips at the image.

"Lena would scold me something fierce whenever she caught me." Sirius continued, his eyes growing distant, "She said that it didn't matter how much of the good flying genes you'd inherited, you weren't to get on a toy broom till 3 at the earliest."

He laughed at that.

Narcissa had pretty much insisted on the same thing.

Sirius's eyes lingered on him for a moment before he let out a tired say.

"You know you say you're like me, and Merlin knows you are, but...I think you're like my brother...like Regulus." Sirius said softly, flashing him a sorrow filled smile, "You fly like him."

Draco cleared his throat.

"He was a Seeker too, right?" He managed licking his chapped lips.

Sirius nodded with a wistful look on his face.

"Hmm yes. A very good one."

Sirius glanced back at him reaching out and combing his hair to right the strands that were sticking out at angles.

"And I left him behind too." He murmured lowly, "If I'm damned for anything it will be for him and for you."

Draco shook his head, letting out a shaky breath.

"If he was like me." he said softly, "He wouldn't have gone...no matter how much he may have wanted. He'd...he'd have stayed, hoping that after everything had blown over...that he could fix it. Bridge everything back."

Sirius nodded. "That sounds like him." He shook his head, "But I was still the older brother...I should have known better."

"We all make mistakes."

Sirius smiled slightly, and Draco returned it before wincing as he turned and coughed into the crook of his arm.

Sirius murmured something he couldn't make out before he steered him by the shoulders toward the house.

"Alright. I think that's enough for you today. Let's go back in."

He pretended to look irritated, even going so far as to pout, which prompted Sirius to throw his head back and laugh at his antics.

The sound warmed him, and he found that any protests he might have had at being forcibly dragged back inside fled as he went without resistance back into Grimmauld Place.

* * *

"Why won't you just tell us why the two of you even went to begin with?" Ron muttered as he dodged another of her spells before throwing up the very shield she'd been trying to teach him for the past few days.

She dropped her wand, halting training for the foreseeable future.

"I told you before. He was going to talk and help his friends. I just tagged along." She said, willing herself not squirm when Harry joined Ron in appraising her.

"And we're just supposed to believe he went to just help someone. This is the ferret we're talking about." Ron muttered lowly before twirling his wand in hand.

"Well he did." she said harshly, wincing at how defensive she sounded.

It was no wonder the boys didn't believe her.

She really was awful at lying to them.

She shook her head, recalling Draco bending over Tracy Davis as he healed her, his body shaking as his hands stayed firm while he worked.

"You didn't see him, but...but it was a big deal to him."

And it had been. The last time Draco had worked to heal anyone it had been a muggle girl who'd died despite his best efforts.

Ron looked troubled for a moment before he scowled and scuffed his shoe into the floor.

Harry let out a breath, glancing at Ron before turning his attention back to her.

"I trust you Hermione. You're practically my sister in all but blood, but Draco." Harry winced as the name fell from his mouth, but he seemed to recover quickly and continued. "He's unpredictable 'Mione. Just be careful alright."

She flushed, looking away from Harry's inquisitive eyes quickly.

"I know Harry. I know." She said lowly, "And you're like my brother, but in this...this thing between me and him. It's between us only."

He winced, looking vaguely ill at her words, but he nodded in acceptance all the same.

Her heart swelled at the action.

The fact that both Harry and Ron were demonstrating how much they respected and trusted her was obviously wonderful.

At the same time though, she wished she could tell them...about the horcrux about everything.

It would help them better understand why exactly she defended Draco.

But, despite how much she wanted to come clean, form a plan, and simply act, she knew she wouldn't betray Draco's own trust in her.

She did wonder though, what exactly he was waiting for.

Before, he'd been impatient to even hear news about his inquiries. Why the lag? She knew him well enough by now that it was all for a reason.

He always had a reason.

For every action.

Every move.

He controlled everything, and, without a doubt, he calculated everything to be perfect.

He was so unlike anyone she'd ever met. From the very beginning that had been abundantly clear.

She'd met him first, in Flourish and Blotts in passing and the look of him alone had drawn her to him.

He'd looked so serious for a boy of 11, serious and...something in his eyes, that startling gray blue, in his tightened jaw, and stiff posture had made all the noise around her fade to quiet as she thought _I've never seen a boy like that._

She hadn't seen him again until the train, and by then what she'd seen before...from afar in the bookshop, that illusion had shattered and been replaced with what she now knew to be another illusion.

Where had one began and the other ended? How long had that cycle endured?

Somehow she thought she already knew the answer to that.

She was about to suggest they resume training when a knock sounded on the door to the room.

They each froze, their eyes darting to one another as the door eased open and Draco stuck his head through first before slipping completely into the room and shutting the door.

"I'd wondered which room you'd all chosen. Guessing on the first try. That's a new record, even for me." He said with a smirk.

His eyes drifted and lingered on her for a moment.

"Your silencing spell is fading. You should reapply it." he said lowly.

She nodded once studying him as she took her wand and re-cast without a word.

He looked flushed, but something about him seemed almost lighter...like he'd finally managed to work off part of that anxious energy that had been clinging to him for the past week.

His hair was also messed, in a way that seemed somewhere between natural and the desired look that some achieved after hours before the bathroom mirror.

Her eyes drifted to the broom in his hand, and it all clicked into place.

He'd gone flying.

Really, how he managed to break rules and get away with it was beyond her.

How he found the energy to do so was an even greater mystery.

With how bad his flare up had been yesterday...terrible to the point he could barely speak, she hadn't expected him to do much except rest.

It's what she'd left him to do when the healer had arrived to check him out.

He must be used to it though. It wasn't like it was a new problem. He'd lived like this for years.

He caught her gaze and with a thin smile, he shrunk the broom and stowed it in his pocket.

She stole a glance at Ron and then to Harry, who seemed to be watching Draco intently with an expression of curiosity easily visible on his face.

"Help you Malfoy?" Harry finally said.

"Actually." Draco began, catching her eye for a second before meeting Harry's gaze.

"I'm here to help you."

* * *

He told them.

An abbreviated version, but a version all the same.

She studied him as he spoke, low and firm, outlining his suspicions that had been confirmed and then he'd thrown a curve ball.

"There's a horcrux at Gringotts."

They'd all gone deathly silent, even Ron wasn't fidgeting or forcing himself to look disgruntled as Draco spoke.

She literally could not bring herself to speak.

Gringotts.

She'd heard him talk to Blaise about the place, but she hadn't thought it would be about this.

Draco swept his eyes over all three of them before letting out a tired puff of air.

"In Bellatrix's vault." he added before biting his lip in concentration.

"We have to get that one first."

And here the uproar began.

Ron was questioning his sanity and his information.

The horcrux at Hogwarts was believable and relatively accessible, why not get that one first.

She'd wondered the same, but thinking back to their own visit to Hogwarts...She suppressed a shiver recalling Alecto's crazed eyes.

How the woman had purred recounting Draco from memory…

She clenched her fists willing the image away.

Hogwarts was under Death Eater patrol. It would be risky, and the slightest mistake would quickly be noticed.

"We gain time by going to Gringotts first." Draco said stiffly, "The goblins always try to solve their problems internally before they involve people elsewhere. _He_ won't hear about the robbery immediately. Where if we go to Hogwarts first -"

"He'll hear about it and have time to move the other." Harry finished.

She nodded at the logic all the while watching Draco, who'd taken to watching Harry intently.

His gaze was so intense that it briefly occurred to her he might as well have been doing legilimency for all the power he held in his eyes.

He very well could have.

She knew from experience that unless you were familiar with the feel of your own mind and that of an invader, you may not notice it at all until it was nearly too late.

"Exactly." Draco murmured nodding to himself as though satisfied by whatever he'd managed to discern from Harry.

Now though, Harry seemed to harden as he examined Draco.

"Why are you telling us this?"

Draco tilted his head and for a moment his eyes flashed toward her before settling on Harry.

"If I tell anyone else...they won't let me do anything at all." Draco bit his lip dropping his eyes down to the floor.

"Everyone else, they have things they can do, battles that have to be fought before the end." he looked up then, "But I started this. I found them. I have to finish it."

Something flashed in Harry's eyes, and his hard expression seemed to morph into one of understanding.

"And being 'dead' has it's advantages to this sort of thing." Draco continued lowly.

"But." She licked her lips, "It's Gringotts. No one has ever broken in. We'll need a foolproof plan."

Draco nodded, a slight gleam in his eyes that gave him the air of a mischievous boy.

"Oh we will. We have a month to figure it out."

* * *

It was a wonderful thing to have a plan.

As a very goal oriented person, Hermione could appreciate a challenge no matter how incredibly difficult that challenge was turning out to be.

By the time they finally broke away, completely spent and their minds exhausted from ideas, she knew that this may very well prove to be one of their most impossible task yet.

But Draco seemed prepared.

Heir to two large family fortunes, he'd certainly been in Gringotts enough to know his way around.

The intimate details were helpful, but frustrating all the same.

For every idea they had, it seemed a counter measure existed for it.

She had a newfound respect for the goblins. They were not ones to be trifled with.

She slowed her pace, noticing Draco had lagged slightly behind her as they'd walked down the corridor.

She'd stayed with him, unsure what to say but knowing that she wanted to say something.

He'd wanted to walk around a bit, exercise his leg and build his stamina or so he claimed.

He was so incredibly bad at sitting still.

It just seemed worse now that he'd been forced into the dark in regards to anything to do with Narcissa.

It was probably the reason he'd broken his secrecy. He needed a distraction, something that he could accomplish instead of sitting around and waiting.

But…

She glanced at him, silently offering her hand and incredibly pleased when he took it.

He was already so tired, and she felt that whenever she took the time to really study him, she could practically see him deteriorating.

Burning in his own thoughts, worries, and fears.

"You ok?" She asked then, seeing him wince as his other hand went to his left thigh to massage the muscle.

He sighed.

"How can something be numb and still hurt?"

She had no response to that so she lifted their clasped hands and pressed a kiss to the back of his.

"We can take a break."

He looked like he wanted to protest, but his own defiance was ruined when he winced once more.

"Alright." he agreed, letting her steer him into what was now a rather familiar room.

Draco let out an amused snort as the tapestry came into view the deeper they ventured into the room.

He dropped her hand and walked slowly to it, reaching out and tracing the lines before him.

"What is it with us and this room?" He said shaking his head before turning to glance at her from over his shoulder.

She shrugged, coming up to stand beside him. She lent her head on his shoulder and turned her gaze to study the Black family tapestry.

She could still see the corners from where it had been burned to remove faces off the tree, but Draco...when he'd reinstated Sirius and then Andromeda back into the family the strands had knitted back together to reform their faces.

It wasn't a perfect job, but she imagined that it was really more about the action represented rather than the quality of the work.

"I rather like it." She finally said, "I learned a lot about you in this room."

She smiled as he turned to look down at her.

"You quoted a muggle book to me for the first time here." she continued teasingly.

Draco smirked.

She grinned.

"I meant to ask." She said, moving so that she was facing him fully. "Why Brave New World?"

Draco met her gaze, and she saw him wrestle with himself for a moment before he cleared his throat to speak.

"Brave New World was the first muggle book I ever read." He began, glancing back up to the tapestry before them, "I always thought...I could see myself in it. In this world where everyone wasn't questioning anything and so busy pleasuring themselves to sin that they couldn't see that they were destroying themselves."

She held her breath. It was so easy to lose yourself in his stories. His calm and rich voice pulling her in as she was afforded a brief glimpse into who he was beneath all the layers she'd discovered.

"Everyone but that one outsider, and he just needed to get out." Draco murmured before turning to look at her, a small smile at his lips.

She felt so heavy just then, imagining what it must have been like for him to read such a book and feel like his own existence had been described in it's pages.

She snaked her arm around his waist.

"If one's different, one's bound to be lonely." She quoted.

He let out a breath.

"Yeah. Something like that."

He turned in her arms to face her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.

His eyes drifted around her face before he bent down and kissed her softly.

She relished the feel of him, and couldn't help her disappointment when he did pull away.

He always ended it so soon, like he was still being careful in letting himself get lost in the pull that was between them. It was frustrating, but understandable.

He wasn't like her.

He didn't quite know how to deal with such strong and overpowering sentiments that had surrounded her her whole life.

She'd taken for granted having parents who were so obvious in their love...in expressing feelings.

It was a stark difference from him.

She'd have to give him time to learn.

He sighed pulling her to a chair so that they could sit for a while.

It was comfortable, even being silent like this.

They sat for quite some time before footsteps signaled the entrance of another.

They stood slowly, Draco's hand still in hers as the figure became clear.

Andromeda smiled slightly at them.

"I didn't expect to find anyone else here." She said.

Draco inclined his head and Andromeda returned the gesture before her eyes drifted to the tapestry before them.

She studied it, something flashing in her eyes when she noted the healed state of it.

She stepped closer, smiling slightly as her fingers went to her name and then to her husband's before down to Nymphadora's.

She then moved her hand quickly to Sirius's name. She traced the line connecting Sirius to Elena, laughing slightly.

"I still remember when they first met." She said, the smile still on her face as she turned to look at Draco.

He looked slightly pained, but it was gone quickly as he nodded. "I've heard the story...at Hogwarts."

Andromeda shook her head.

"Oh I'm talking before that." She mused, "We'd all been invited to a party at the Malfoy's, and this was the first time we were all deemed old enough to attend."

Draco furrowed his brows, gripping her hand tighter for a moment. It was obvious he'd never heard this story before.

"Sirius was." Andromeda hummed, "9 I believe, and Lena was 7 on the cusp of 8. They'd been paired together on a whim for the one dance we were all required to do, and like all children they abhorred the very thought of it."

She laughed, her eyes growing foggy as she grew lost in the memory.

"They certainly had no qualms at letting the other know their feelings. It was just downhill from there." She pressed her fingers to her lips, smirking before she turned to Draco. "I do believe Lena told Sirius that there was no possible way a girl could like him, and the one who married him would be doing it to annoy him."

Draco cracked a smile at that, his eyes shining much too bright in the dim room.

Andromeda laughed again.

"And how those words came back to haunt her later." She murmured, "Sirius certainly never let her forget them."

"I can imagine." Draco managed to say.

Andromeda smiled at him and looked like she was about to say something when the sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts.

Sirius appeared in the doorway to the room, his eyes focused on Draco.

"Draco." He said lowly walking hesitantly into the room.

"We got a hold of Cissa."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: A massive thank you to everyone who left a review! There's now a 100+ of them, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel. Keep them coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Time just seemed to whirl past her at Sirius's declaration. She quite literally could not have recounted any finer details of how they'd managed to get out of that tapestry room and out of Grimmauld.

In fact, Hermione was unsure just why she'd been swept along for the ride.

Yet, with Draco's hand clenched around hers, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Sirius had gotten a hold of Narcissa and time had allowed her to break away for a few hours, and of course, Draco wanted to take advantage.

There was no guarantee that this would ever happen again, and his determination was understandable.

They'd landed on the outskirts of the main Black property in Essex.

It was gorgeous, and even that seemed inadequate in describing how the property stretched before her.

The gardens were in full bloom and based on the shimmer hanging over them they were under a stasis charm.

The house; though, was what had truly caught her eye. Four wings separated by large columns made from cream and white trimmed stone, and linings along the windows and roof that glinted in the light.

It was decadent.

And so well preserved by magic.

The gates creaked open, and Draco's hand tightened around hers. She shivered as she passed through the wards.

Without Draco leading her through, she doubted she'd have been allowed in.

She heard Sirius murmur something to Andromeda as they followed behind them.

Apparently she wasn't the only one so taken with the property, and this wasn't even Sirius's first time here.

Or really the first time for any of the members of the house of Black.

Briefly, she wondered if any of the other ancestral homes were as extravagant as this.

She was sure Malfoy Manor held the same sort of air.

They'd just reached the front steps to the door, when Sirius called for them to stop.

"Let me go first." He murmured, moving passed them and with a flick of his wand the door opened as he disappeared into the house.

Andromeda was quick to follow him, leaving both Draco and her out still on the front steps.

She turned her head and caught Draco's eyes.

He looked paler than usual, with light pink stains on his cheeks from the exertion.

He bit his lip.

"I'm scared." he whispered.

Her breath caught at the declaration, still somewhat stunned that he'd confided such a thing...said such a thing out loud.

To her.

And it nearly destroyed her at the implication.

She wanted to give him some sort of reassurance, but she couldn't in good conscious say anything that she wasn't certain was true. So she went to speak with her actions.

She tilted her head to get a better look at him before pulling him down and covering his lips gently with hers. He stiffened in her grasp before relaxing into the kiss.

She sighed, breaking away after a moment.

"It's alright to be."

Something flashed in his eyes that she couldn't quite place before he gave her a thin smile and led them forward slowly and as steady as he could.

The foyer was, if possible, even more magnificent than the outside of the house.

The ceiling was high and the crown molding was a work of art in it's own right.

As though in a trance, Draco led them forward seemingly half from memory and half from the barest of murmurs that could be detected from down the hall.

There were no portraits.

An odd thing to notice at such a time, but it was the first thought that came to her as they passed down the wall and turned right passed a large ballroom.

Perhaps it was her conditioned response to expect it, having had her own experiences with the portraits that littered Grimmauld Place.

"They're usually kept upstairs." Draco murmured, barely moving his lips as he spoke, "To keep them from unintentionally revealing things in front of guests."

She barely dwelled on how he knew what she was thinking, but rather marveled at what he'd told her meant.

It was a political, protective, and utterly cunning thing to do.

It made her wonder why Grimmauld did not adhere to those standards.

Draco paused before a door, the voices now much easier to make out

He let out a breath, sagging over to the point his head nearly rested on the door before them.

She squeezed his hand and waited, wondering if he'd drop hers as they entered.

Would he want his mother to see such a gesture?

It wasn't necessarily the most important question to be pondering a the moment, but she found that the answer to it mattered a great deal to her.

In the end, Draco was able to answer with nothing more than returning her gesture and keeping his hand firmly around hers as he opened the door and they went inside.

She could barely restrain the fluttering in her chest at the motion.

* * *

Draco tried to still his trembling hand. The one currently holding Hermione's was stilled, but his other was free and unoccupied as it shook. He stuffed it in his pocket as they came to a standstill at the front of the room.

All the rooms of the Black Estates were designed in much the same was as the rest of the house. Large. Spacious. And extremely opulent.

This one was no different. It was meant to be a simple sitting room, but the looming ceiling and expensive furniture gave it a much more luxurious appeal.

Sirius and Andromeda were just a ways before them hiding a third figure from view.

He swallowed.

He'd told Hermione he was scared, and he was.

He was scared of what state he'd find his mother in.

Sirius, having heard their entry, moved just enough to expose the last remaining person.

Narcissa.

He froze, staring at her face.

She was still as beautiful as she'd always been.

Pale skin, startling blue eyes with just a hint of gray in them, and her long hair pulled up on her head in an elegant twist to expose her slender neck.

Of his two adopted parents, he'd always resembled Narcissa more.

Sure, with his coloring, most would take a glance at him and declare he looked like Lucius's, but he was more Black in his features.

The very features that were softened in Narcissa, but obvious in Sirius and by extension himself.

The only thing he could visibly discern from her appearance was the dull tiredness buried in her eyes and the stiffness of her stance.

Like one who had been exhausted and was moving forward despite it and the injuries that had occurred along the way.

It occurred to him then that it all seemed too perfect. Too convenient to actually be happening.

How could he know it was real when he'd had dreams that would turn into nightmares with nearly the same plot as this.

As though completely in tune with his thoughts Narcissa stepped forward moving in front of Sirius, stopping only when she reached a foot before him.

Her eyes briefly traveled to where his hand still remained entwined with Hermione's. Something flickered across her face, but it was quickly gone.

She looked back up at him with a small smile just pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"I caught you stealing sweets from the kitchens for the first time when you were 5. I can tell your mood from what you do to relieve the emotions. Upset or anxious is drawing or reading. Angry or frustrated is flying." Her smile turned rueful, "You wake early, no matter what time you go to bed. I'd wake with you and watch you walk out onto the grounds and run and run and run. You ran so far, I often wondered if one day you'd just run away, and I'd never see you again."

She came forward another half step as he held his breath. She met his eyes, her own much more bright than they'd been a moment before.

"Is that enough Draco?" She whispered, "I have 17 other years I can talk about."

He wasn't even really aware of how fast he dropped his hand from Hermione's and darted to Narcissa, throwing his arms around her tightly.

"Mum." he breathed, burying his face in her neck.

She tightened her grip in response before pulling away and taking her hands to cup his jaw.

"I've missed you Dragon." She whispered as her fingers went up to the darker blemishes under his eyes. She turned her head slightly, listening for a moment before a small frown settled on her face.

"You've been sick."

He tried to keep his face blank as he shrugged.

"Not too hard with me." he replied lowly.

Her frown deepened, but she made no other comments. She'd scold him later when they didn't have an audience.

She took his left arm and with the barest of touches pushed up his sleeve to see the cut on his arm.

It had finally sealed up, the infection passing.

It didn't make it look any better though. The dark magic persisted around its edges, and its presence would mean for long lasting effects no matter how much time passed. Flare ups. Pain, an overwhelming amount of it, if he was ever exposed to so much dark magic all at once. Nightmares and visions that not even his Occlumency shields and traps would be enough to keep away.

He'd remain broken this way for the rest of his life.

Narcissa's breath hitched.

"Oh Draco. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you love."

He shook his head, willing himself to swallow the lump wedged in his throat.

"It's not your fault Mum. You didn't give this to me." he murmured.

She shook her head, her eyes dropping back to his arm that she was still cradling in her hands.

"But I should have dissuaded you. Stopped you however I could. I knew the consequences better than anyone."

"You couldn't stop it for me." He said taking his free hand to cover one of hers. "But you can stop it for you." He bit his lip. "Don't go back Mum."

She looked up quickly, a flash of pain fluttering across her face.

"I have to go back."

"For what?" he said stiffly barely thinking before he spoke next, "For Father?"

He bit his lip immediately, knowing without having to see that Sirius was grimacing at his word choice. It couldn't be helped. 17 years of using a specific title was hard to break. It was automatic.

Narcissa sighed.

"I can help you, help the Order, better if I go back Draco. Gods know Severus has needed my help more than he'd like to admit it."

He was ready to protest, but she gave him no opportunity as she continued to speak.

"And yes." she said quietly, "I am staying for Lucius too."

"Why?" He demanded, "He abandoned us the moment he let _him_ into our house. Merlin, he's abandoned you to -"

"He hasn't." she said harshly before softening her expression once more, "Perhaps he was gone, but since you…" She took a breath, "Since your 'death', it's like he's woken up from a trance."

"He's going to try to contact the Order."

He froze, pulling his arm from her grasp.

His mind whirled trying to piece together an explanation, but any ideas he had were unsettling and not even near satisfying.

"Why?" he whispered.

Narcissa let out a puff of air as she took one hand and combed his fringe before letting it rest on his cheek.

"Because of you." she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't think he could even breath after a declaration like that. He was again starting to doubt his sanity. How could that be anything close to the true answer?

"He...He's started to doubt your death was real. He can feel that the wards around the Manor haven't changed." Narcissa continued, "He's turned it around over and over in his head and come up with two options; either the Dark Lord threw you to the wolves or you've somehow gotten over to the other side and they're holding you for information and perhaps a trade if needed in the future."

Someone gasped behind them, but he was barely able to comprehend what was being said to determine who it had been.

"Cissy." Sirius said, coming up to them. "Have you to-"

"Of course not." Narcissa said, grasping him tightly, "I would never jeopardize Draco's safety like that. Even Lucius, should he find out through his inquiries and help to the Order was not going to get Draco back just to thrust him before the Dark Lord. He'd have sent him away in hiding."

Draco shook his head, managing to somehow bring himself out of his stupor.

"It doesn't have to be you Mum. Please. Just stay."

Narcissa shook her head, a sad smile across her face as she tilted her head up to kiss him on the cheek.

"I've already decided Dragon. Let's just savor these few moments we have together for now. Merlin knows when we will have them again."

* * *

Andromeda managed to convince Sirius to leave the two of them alone for now. She ushered the three of them out leaving Draco and Narcissa in the room alone to spend the rest of their limited time together.

He sighed leaning his head against his mother's shoulder as she absently ran her hand up and down his arm in comfort.

She'd scolded him fierce about the curse, hiding it for so long, for getting sick and not taking care of himself properly, and then she'd cried.

Not for long and not full out sobs, but rather the tears of someone who'd been in mourning for quite sometime and was nowhere near being able to overcome grief to move on.

Then it had been his turn.

He pried as much information as he could from her, despite her own sly and secretive nature to keep things hidden.

About Lucius.

About the other less than savory occupants of the Manor.

About her torture sessions with the Dark Lord.

That had been the hardest to learn about, and she'd held him so tight as she spoke so softly.

He hated himself for needing her to comfort him while she talked through it, when it should have been the other way around.

 _Love. You've built it up in your head, but believe me I'm stronger than I look._

And he knew that. Truly, he did. The thing was...she shouldn't have to be.

Now though, they were sitting quietly simply taking in the other's company, waiting for the moment they'd be forced apart once more.

But he just had to ask...this one last thing.

"Mum. I need to get into Bellatrix's vault."

She looked at him sharply.

He could see the protests already forming on her tongue; though, she held them back. She was waiting for his explanation.

She knew him. She knew he'd only mention it if he had good reason to do such an insane thing.

He sighed, glancing around the room checking for any shimmers of spells that indicated listening ears.

Satisfied, he turned back to her and began.

He wasn't too thorough, but the importance was stressed enough that by the end of it Narcissa had conceded despite still looking unhappy at the entire ordeal.

She shook her head. "Are you ever going to stop getting yourself in trouble." She murmured before twisting a ring on her finger off and planting it in his palm, curling his fingers to close around it.

"This should get you in the old entrance to Gringotts. You remember the entrance for the old,' she pursed her lips, "the old _families_?"

He nodded, tightening his hold on her signet ring.

"I'd say to use your own, but it may raise questions or alarms."

He nodded.

"But you'll still need disguises, and they may check your wands." She said, thinking to herself before reaching a hand up to her head and plucking a strand of hair from her head.

She conjured a small bag and placed it inside before handing it to him too.

He bit his lip before accepting it reluctantly. This was a risk before, but now it was a risk to the both of them.

After a moment's hesitation, Narcissa also held out her wand to him.

He shifted away in shock.

"No. I couldn't." he stammered.

"Take it Draco." She said softly with a rueful smile on her lips.

"I won't leave you defenseless."

"Darling." she said taking his hand and forcing the wand into his grasp. "When have you known me to not have a backup."

Still he shook his head. It didn't matter how many spares you had, nothing would ever work as well as the original wand.

He couldn't do it.

"Won't they notice?" he protested weakly.

She took the hand now clutching her wand and kissed the back of it.

"Leave that to me."

He swallowed roughly as he held her hand tight.

"Now you'll need a hair from Bellatrix. I can get it for you and have it sent, but it may take some time."

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"I can wait." he managed to say.

She nodded as her brow rose slightly. "I'm assuming then that this is not to be shared with Sirius?"

He gave her a look, momentarily distracted by the well of emotions swirling and clogging his throat.

To his surprise, Narcissa laughed, the sound light and warming him.

"Oh Draco. You're far too cunning for your own good."

* * *

Hermione tried to resist the urge to fidget as she waited for Draco to finish with Narcissa. Sirius and Andromeda were sitting on a couch a ways from her, conversing softly and leaving her to her own devices.

Perhaps the worst thing they could have done to her, because now her mind was running away with her, fueled by her imagination and worry of what was taking Draco so long.

She knew that had it been her, she'd want to relish every possible minute she could steal with her parents, but still she worried.

For him, and how much more strain he could take in one hectic afternoon.

For what Narcissa could be telling him.

For what he could be telling her in turn.

Her thoughts were cut short when the door across from them opened and Draco walked out with Narcissa close behind.

His hand was lingering near his thigh as he stepped the only sign of his discomfort and building fatigue. He shot her a weak smile before his gaze turned to Sirius.

He went to his father and spoke quietly with him as they all began to head out of the looming mansion.

"Miss Granger." She stopped and turned her head in surprise to Narcissa. A quick glance showed that Draco, Sirius, and Andromeda were much further away from them.

Almost like they were now alone.

"Yes. Mrs. Malfoy." she said cautiously.

Narcissa came closer, her striking eyes looking up and down her form in one fluid sweep.

"You don't deserve him." She said before quickly continuing, "But then, I never thought anyone could deserve him...deserve Draco."

Her heart thudded obnoxiously loud to the point she was sure Narcissa could hear it too.

"I raised him, and in so many ways he's been mine." Narcissa said, a hand coming to rest on her chest as she looked pained, "and I always wondered what it would take to reach Draco enough that all those stone walls around him would crack."

"He still has them." She said, not even aware that she was planning to speak let alone speaking those very words.

Narcissa nodded absently.

"He always will, but." She looked up and caught Hermione's gaze, "But if you can make him happy...then I can accept anything."

She blinked in shock as Narcissa inclined her head before gliding passed her and continuing down the hall.

Had she been given the Mother's approval so to speak?

She shook her head quickly before rushing in the direction Narcissa had headed off to.

She was certain if she didn't catch up with the rest of them soon she'd be lost in not just her emotions but in this obscenely large house.

* * *

Draco scanned the area, looking for Hermione and barely containing his sigh of relief when she appeared not a minute later after his mother.

It had worried him when he'd turned back to find not only her gone, but his mother as well.

Merlin only knew what she'd wanted Hermione for.

He felt slightly guilty at not really mentioning that bit of change in his life, but one glance into Narcissa's eyes and he knew she'd already guessed.

Narcissa was truly an underestimated force.

Sharp with nearly nothing getting passed her.

His mother was still saying goodbye to her sister when Hermione came and without a word took his hand into hers.

He shot her a questioning look to which she responded by gripping his hand tighter.

When Narcissa had finished saying goodbye to Sirius, he reluctantly let go of Hermione's hand and went once more to his mum.

She gave him a sad smile as she blinked rapidly, hugging him before letting a hand rest on the back of his neck.

Her fingers combed through the thin wisps of hair at the nape of his neck before she pulled him down so she could kiss his forehead.

"Be safe Dragon." she murmured against his skin before dropping her hands to take his and bringing them up and planting light kisses to his wrists.

The familiarity at the motion forced fresh lumps into his throat as his eyes watered.

"Goodbye for now." she said.

"I love you Mum." he said in turn.

She smiled as she dropped his hands before stepping backward keeping her eyes on him before she let out a breath and disapparated.

He stayed transfixed watching the very spot she'd stood only a moment before until eventually Hermione came and whispered soft platitudes in his ear as she took his hand and they all disapparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Sirius had barely left Hermione and him in the foyer of the house before he suddenly felt like the walls were too much for him. He was tired and frankly teetering on the edge of a rather dangerous cliff.

It didn't matter though. It didn't matter that he was sore and ready to collapse in bed, he needed to get away. At least for a little while.

Hermione let out a breath. "Draco-"

"I want to take you somewhere."

She bit her lip before she opened her mouth ready to protest before he quickly continued.

"Somewhere safe. No adventures." he said with a crooked smile.

She studied him for a moment before she reluctantly nodded.

He squeezed her hand and in seconds the world spun and they landed on a familiar patch of grass. Hermione stumbled beside him before righting herself and glancing around them.

Her lips parted in an 'o' as her mind seemed to jump ahead as she realized just where he'd apparated them to.

He led her forward up to the one headstone before them.

Her bright eyes darted over the name as her hold tightened around his hand.

"I like to come here to think." He whispered, "Or whenever I just need a break and time to...to absorb things."

She nodded, not speaking. More than likely she was afraid that if she spoke, he was liable to stop speaking completely.

Honestly, it was a fair assumption.

"I like to come...talk to her. It was venting at first, but it's all therapeutic I suppose."

"Do you miss her?"

He sighed glancing over to read that familiar name, Elena Black.

"In my own way, I guess I do." he bit his lip, "I feel like I should miss her more. She...she died for me."

"We do amazing things for the people we love." Hermione bit her lip, looking incredibly saddened for a moment.

"Hermione." He said softly.

She looked up, her eyes shining.

"I obliviated my parents."

His breath hitched as she choked out her story, tears slipping silently down her face.

He wrapped her into his arms and let her sob against him until she calmed.

He thought idly to himself, just how many crying women was he doomed to face today. First is mother...then Hermione...

And both being people he admired for their own strength, but he supposed they were still humans.

And humans still suffer no matter how quiet they are about it. They broke. They rebuilt. They survived, and surely they were all survivors if nothing else.

Before he could stop himself, he pressed kisses to her hairline and then her forehead as she shifted to look up at him.

He brushed away the tear tracks away before letting his one hand cup her jaw and his thumb rest near her bottom lip.

"We're going to end it." He said softly, "For everyone."

She blinked, her eyes still too bright for his liking before she nodded resolutely.

He dropped his hand, letting it go to his pocket and finger his newfound possessions.

"Let me tell you how."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: I apologize for taking so long with this update, but real life has been a struggle lately. Updates will probably be more sporadic than I'd like, but rest assured this fic will not be abandoned! As always, reviews=love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

The smell was what he remembered best. He'd be hard pressed to ever forget no matter how young he'd been.

Burning flesh was distinct.

It always started this way. First the smell, then it would be the heat and the heavy smoke would fill his lungs before...

 _Hold on love._

Then for a moment the darkness would fade and he'd see eyes so close so familiar before the world spun and a scream sounded

He shot up clutching his side at some phantom pain that was gone as soon as it was registered before leaving him trembling and on the verge of having an asthma attack.

He sat back letting his arms wrap his middle as he forced himself to take deep breathes until the only remnant of his panic was the unsteady drum of his heartbeat.

He shook his head pulling his sleeve up to wipe away the sweat he knew clung to his forehead.

His eyes flickered to his window, and he made out the tiniest beam of moonlight. He racked his hands through his hair in frustration.

He'd thought for sure he'd have managed to sleep the last bit of the night through, but it seemed that had been wishful thinking on his part.

He slumped in defeat, accepting he probably wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight.

These dreams...nightmares, were always worse this time of year just as winter took hold. Like his subconscious wanted him to remember. Like he almost wished he would.

He slipped silently out of bed, drawn to the window.

He'd grown to expect them, but in the last few years his dreams had had much more horrific material to torture him with. He'd just never had so many in a row before.

Pushing the curtain to the side, he let his aching head rest on the cold glass as he stared up at the sky.

It was a lovely sight. He'd caught the sky somewhere between night and day. Stars were faintly still visible and the crescent of the moon was sharing a space with the first warmth of sun that would slowly be rising over the next few hours.

He sighed as the pain in his head mounted and like clockwork he found himself on the floor of the bathroom, retching until the pain in his head seemed to subside and his stomach settled.

He murmured a mouth cleansing spell before brushing his teeth thoroughly twice.

He finished up quickly, showering in a second before he dressed and slipped out of his room.

It was getting easier to move around. Though, he tired significantly faster. He was still working on that. Though with his overall improvement, his restlessness returned with a vengeance.

And now his worrying was crippling.

He sighed as he made his way slowly down the steps not stopping till he reached his potions lab. He reached unconsciously for the potion for his lungs, taking note of his stocks. He sighed swallowing half before replacing it on the shelf.

He'd have to make what he had last until he could schedule another run for supplies or Severus could manage to slip away.

Right now both were risky. With the Order out and fighting back, and Voldemort working on establishing his control while simultaneously on the hunt...dangerous didn't even begin to describe it.

Damn him for looking at it like a challenge.

He sat heavily at a work bench playing with the galleon in his hand.

Theo had messaged him the night before, and he was still debating whether he should agree to meet him and where. The offer was tempting. Theo had information and hopefully the last few pieces he needed from his mother for the heist on Gringotts.

He groaned stuffing the coin into his pocket before he could reply.

He had to think.

He couldn't let his own restless nature and impatience rule his decisions.

Or his want to simply get out of Grimmauld Place.

It wasn't like it could be helped. He hated being confined, and he especially hated this time of year. There might have been a time when he had looked on the beginning of December with ernest, but those times were few and all firmly found when he was between the ages of 1-6. The entire Christmas allure had fizzled out after that, and then as tensions began anew whilst at Hogwarts and his memories and discoveries suddenly seemed to coincide did the entire thing truly become lack luster.

He knew so much death this time of year, so much pain and torture from childhood memories long forgotten and memories he'd rather forget from his time at the Manor the winter of his 5th and 6th year.

And while he may have once longed to spend at least one holiday with Sirius, now it seemed somewhat anticlimactic. He'd had it built up for so long in his head that now….

It nearly made him feel….nervous.

Gods he was in trouble.

Before he could stop himself he'd fished out the coin in his pocket and messaged Theo to meet him on the outskirt grounds of Grimmauld Place, and then he slumped forward letting his eyes roam around his lab before he pulled various vials off the shelf and began to brew.

* * *

Hermione sat back. Her eyes drifted from the page before her for the hundredth time. It was really no use. Her concentration was shot. It had been for quite some time. Though accepting that meant accepting why her concentration was drifting.

Fear.

Particularly now as time seemed to be running away from her. Each day they trained more, worked more, planned more, and still she felt as though they couldn't possibly be ready.

She thought that Draco might think the same. She'd catch him sometimes with such a faraway look in his eyes before he'd blink and give Ron a different spell to try or Harry a new combination that worked with his casting style.

Though, when she saw him as he dueled with one of the boys or with her, it almost felt like maybe the fear was for nothing.

It was such a strange thing. He could be casting the most dangerous spell he knew, but the manner in which he would move would be so disarmingly and distractedly graceful.

She'd wondered if it was something natural, and that wouldn't have surprised her, but she knew that wasn't just the case.

There were times she'd seen it while watching others at Hogwarts. Even the clumsiest witch or wizard who'd grown up in the throes of magic had it.

The flick in the wrist. The way their hand would move through the air. Their wands were extensions of themselves, not tools.

And that was something that couldn't be taught, though perhaps adapted after years and years.

It had made her jealous before. It had been something she couldn't get from a book. She may never even discover such a rhythm herself no matter how long she lived and searched for it. It was hard to admit, but there was a great difference in how she viewed magic and how someone like Ron viewed magic.

He may not have been the most studious person, but Ron understood magical theory, essence, a lot better than she did without even half as much studying.

Was that where the tensions had started...was that the difference that the purebloods has seen in those raised in the muggle world, or was it the fact that the difference existed and the muggle raised didn't even bother to learn what seemed like such a fundamental part of magic?

She shut her book and shook her head, not liking her train of thoughts before her eyes drifted to the other occupants in the room.

Tonks was halfheartedly reading the wizard's equivalent of what to expect while you're expecting. She seemed almost as distracted as Hermione was. Her eyes were drifting between the large grandfather clock in the room to the large window that showcased the neighborhood around Grimmauld.

It's not like she could blame her. Her father was still missing and now both Remus and Sirius were out on some sort of reconnaissance mission for the Order. They'd been gone for nearly two hours now.

Then there was Andromeda, who was holding herself together much better than she would have had it been her husband missing. Though, that may have been the woman's upbringing shining through. The aristocratic ability to not give anything away and to remain firm as demons snaked around you.

"This is ridiculous." Tonks exclaimed then shutting her book hard and startling her nearly to her feet.

Tonks stood and paced the room. "They've been gone too long. They should have been back by now."

Tonks drew her wand, toying with it in her fingers as her free hand went unconsciously to her stomach that was now slightly rounded.

"I'm going to-"

"Nymphadora." Andromeda said then, closing her own book and glancing up to meet her daughter's eyes. "Think rationally." She said calmly, but not unkindly.

Tonks looked at her mother with a look of pure frustration before Hermione noticed her chin was trembling and her eyes growing glassy.

She dropped her eyes to the floor as she made out the rustle of robes that signaled Andromeda's standing and walking to her daughter.

She could hear hushed words and a gentle suggestion to floo Kingsley before Tonks hurried footsteps faded out of the room.

After a moment, she chanced a glance and saw Andromeda had sat back down looking far more weary and lost in thought than she had been before. Then, as though sensing her scrutiny, she blinked and focused on her.

"It's a proper war now." Andromeda said softly.

She found herself nodding numbly.

"Though, this time, it may not last as long as the first." Andromeda mused, "But it will certainly feel like it."

"What was it like?"

Hermione blinked, startled for a moment that she'd actually voiced a question.

Andromeda let out a long sigh.

"Heart crushing."

The older woman studied her for a moment before she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

"Everything was so gray. Houses were burning and families were breaking over two different visions of what the future should bring." Andromeda pursed her lips, "The choice was so much more difficult then than it is now. In the beginning, it was about creating a better world."

"With mass genocide?" she said incredulously before Andromeda shot her a reprimanding look for interrupting. It was nearly funny. Her own mother had scolded her in much the same manner.

"You have to understand. Genocide wasn't even mentioned or considered at first. It was…" She trailed off thinking for a moment.

"It was about discovery and power. It was...it was about culture at the very core for many."

Unconsciously, she felt herself lean forward enraptured at the sudden change in tone in Andromeda's voice.

"With each year, the lines blurred, traditions lost or disrespected by those who entered into this world with no understanding or care to understand. It wasn't really just the Muggleborns, Half Bloods raised away from magic too were seen at fault."

"Magic." Andromeda took a breath, "Magic is a gift."

Hermione's heart pounded.

"A gift that the old pureblood families believed we'd been given and earned through generations and generations of devotion, exploration, and innovation. Then came these outsiders who welded magic like it was a toy. They didn't care to learn about it. They didn't show they valued it or even wanted to prove that they deserved it, and instead seemed to take it as something for granted."

"But they didn't." Hermione whispered.

Andromeda looked at her sharply, though not unkindly. "Perhaps not all, but many did."

"Imagine you invite a guest, a stranger maybe, into your home. You show them the house, you tell them your history and traditions, show them your life's work; and they poke holes into your pride, make comparisons to their own and point out the ways in which your very culture is lacking. Then at the same time, they turn around and pick the parts they wish to adopt and pass it off as their own."

Andromeda sat back no longer really focusing on her, "Pretty soon, you're a stranger in your own world and the culture you were so proud to have is a pale shadow of what it once was. The very progress you wanted to see is forgotten in favor of trying to meet the gaps in knowledge that are suddenly growing to cataclysmic proportions."

"That doesn't condone war." Hermione said, harsher than she intended.

Andromeda nodded. "Of course it doesn't. It was a disagreement, but it was never anything to cause death over."

A thought suddenly overtook her as everything Andromeda had been trying to tell her fell into place.

"This war won't end with him." Hermione whispered unable to keep the edge of hopelessness out of her voice.

Andromeda gave her a sad though encouraging smile.

"No." She agreed, "But just because it's complicated doesn't mean it's impossible."

She blushed at the knowing look in Andromeda's eyes, casting her eyes down to study the floor.

It wasn't hard to guess the older witch meant Draco, and all she'd discovered when it came to him.

"Well that's enough unpleasant conversation for today. Why don't we see where my daughter has run off too?"

And with the heat still in her cheeks, Hermione nodded and followed.

* * *

Draco pulled his jacket closer to his body just as another cool wind blew through him. He shivered not minding the numbing of the cold as he shuffled his feet into the earth.

 _It would snow soon._ He thought, glancing up at the gray of the sky.

He shuddered again before reluctantly casting a hasty warming charm.

He was about to send a message to Theo when he heard the faintest crack of an apparition.

He kept his back turned as the footsteps grew louder.

"It's about time Theo." He murmured turning slightly.

Theo rolled his eyes, coming to a stop before him.

"You're as cheery as ever." he said. He paused, his eyes flitting over Draco's form. "At least you don't look like death this time."

He scoffed. "Charming Theo."

Theo smirked before digging in his pockets and pulling out an envelope from his pocket and handing it to him.

He turned it over, his fingers coming up to trace the familiar handwriting.

"Narcissa said you'd need that." Theo looked at him for a moment, "So you're still set on it all then?"

"Believe me if there was any other way, I would do it. Contrary to popular belief, I don't thrive on suicide missions."

Theo snorted, but did not contest his words.

They both fell silent, and Draco used the opportunity to study Theo. The other was wearing the same tired expression he did everyday, and the signs of sleepless nights and terror were digging lines that shouldn't be present on a 17 year old's face.

"How is everything Theo?"

Theo sighed heavily.

"Hogwarts is a war zone." Theo shook his head pasting a weak smile on his face. "But it does give me the opportunity for good information. That goblin you were looking for, I think I know where he is."

Before he could speak, Theo rushed to continue speaking.

"He was spotted traveling with Ted Tonks."

"Where?"

Theo looked pained. "Mate. Don't do this without thinking."

"He's my aunt's husband, my cousin's father...I...I should have done something to stop him before, I'm not hesitating again." He protested before a rustling sound made him fall silent.

He glanced at Theo, noting the way the other was slowly moving his hand toward where he kept his wand holster at his side.

He put his hand out on Theo's arm, stopping him from drawing as he turned.

"Potter, what the fuck did I say about spying on me."

Theo eyed him like he was crazy just as the rustling resumed and Potter and Weasley appeared before them huddled under a cloak.

Based on their flushed appearance, he could guess they'd only been there for a few minutes at most.

 _Good. He wasn't slipping then._

They stood, both pairs of them staring each other down.

Like deja vu, he was reminded of numerous times this scene had played out between them whilst they were all back at Hogwarts and he was still playing 'Malfoy'. It had occurred more times than he cared remember.

Potter held his shoulders back as he stood straighter.

"If you're going after Ted, we're coming too."

"No way."

"Sure."

He turned to glare at Theo who returned it without so much as blinking.

"Come on mate, 4 is better than 2, and this way you'll actually stop and consider a plan first."

He scowled before his eyes widened in realization.

"You're-"

"Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed or captured."

He tugged his jacket tighter to hide the shiver that ran through him as the wind picked up again. His strength for the day was beginning to fade and he didn't want to waste it arguing.

"Fine." He mumbled in agreement, "Where is Ted Tonks?"

* * *

According to Theo, three days ago a pair of Snatchers had come in with poorly performed memory charms on the both of them. What little they remembered was jumbled and nonsensical, but what had stuck out from the account was the two's insistence that the goblins were somehow involved with the incident.

Apparently that was when Theo had started digging deeper before he was led to a small clearing in the middle of the woods in Ireland.

"Fucking hate forests." He grumbled rubbing his nose as they trekked through the snow. Theo let out a low chuckle beside him as he murmured a spell to remove their footprints as they walked.

He sighed, slumping against a tree for a moment to relieve his aching leg.

He took the opportunity to pull his inhaler and quickly taking in a mouthful of the medicine. He let out a breath rubbing at his throat before he reluctantly pushed himself upright and resumed walking.

It took him a second to realize that his slight delay had put him in step with Weasley. Really the sudden flicker of red in his periphery should have clued him in long before he finally did register it.

He groaned internally, but despite his inherent want to simply ignore the other he could practically feel his conscious nagging at him.

He would be the first to admit he hadn't treated the other fairly. He'd taken his hurt and anger at the bloke's family and slapped it right atop his shoulders ready to judge him for it.

Hypocritical when he really stopped to think about it, but it hadn't stopped him from doing it. Though now, with the plan in motion to go for Gringotts, he needed to make sure everything was perfect.

And that included peace amongst them. Battles between them were just as dangerous as battles with the other side.

"Weasley." He cleared his throat, wincing at the near rusty taste in his mouth, "I think I owe you-"

"Don't." The redhead interrupted.

He blinked at the interruption, more than a little shocked at the interruption.

"Don't." Weasley repeated, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around who you actually are. If I have to deal with you not acting like a total prick too, I may just go mad."

He felt his lips twisting into the semblance of a smile. Weasley mirrored him.

"Well you were always a bit slow." he said.

Weasley's grin widened. "Now there's the Draco I know and hate."

He was about to retort when he heard Theo call his name from ahead of them. He quickened his pace and pretty soon he saw what exactly had drawn Theo to this spot.

Potter was a step ahead, his hand out and pressed flat against some invisible wall.

Wards.

"It's not good." Theo came up beside him. He frowned and mimicked Potter, and as he reached out and brushed his fingers against the wards he understood what Theo met.

They were fading, and that meant whoever was hidden inside of them was fading too.

He glanced at Theo and in sync, they both began casting to disable the protection spells.

It took 10 minutes, and by the time they were done, his fingers were practically frozen to his wand.

The wards had disappeared to reveal a modest tent. It was eerily quiet with no sounds of movement or signs of anyone inside preparing to retaliate against their intrusion. After a moment, Potter and Weasley both stepped forward. He glanced to Theo, who merely shrugged and the two followed the Gryffindors into the tent.

"They look asleep." Weasley muttered when they finally reached the inside and took in the mess of the tent before them.

Sure enough, Ted was huddled in one corner in what looked like a raggedy blanket, and in the other was a small bundle in much the same position.

But then he noticed the color of their skin.

"Oh Merlin." he murmured, his heart beginning to race as he pieced it all together.

"Draco." Theo said snapping him away from his thoughts. "If we don't do something now, they're going to continue freezing to death."

He nodded numbly before walking over to Ted and casting a warming charm over his clothes and a much stronger one at his core. He made out Theo doing the same to the goblin. He cast a few more spells before he chanced a vitals spell and nearly sighed in relief at the normal heart beat displayed.

"Alright." He slumped forward, "Let's get them out of here."

"As if it wasn't bad enough when it was just Draco sneaking out, now we have worry about Harry and Ron too." Sirius groaned, tapping his fingers in frustration on the kitchen table.

* * *

Hermione couldn't help but agree. Though, if she were honest a larger part of her was jealous and a bit put out that she hadn't also been invited on whatever little adventure the three boys had hurried off too.

"At least we know they're all together." Remus said in yet another attempt at being optimistic. "There is strength in numbers."

Andromeda looked like she disagreed, and Hermione couldn't help but think that there was a fantastic scolding waiting in the future for all three of the prats when they finally did make it back.

Mostly though, she could tell they were all simply worried.

 _Please get back soon._

And like her prayers were being answered, the crack of an apparation came from the back porch.

In half a second, Sirius was up and racing toward the door with Andromeda at his heels.

She heard a shout and barely even aware of her body she tore passed the crowd until her eyes fell on the group at the doorstep.

Andromeda had lurched forward and taken a figure into her arms and was talking in fast whispers while gently caressing his face.

Ted.

She barely registered seeing Harry, then Ron, and what appeared to be a goblin before her gaze landed on the person she'd been searching for.

Draco was shivering, or at least trying to hide the fact that he was shivering as he took a half hearted scolding from Sirius, who after minute gave up on the action and simply drew him into an embrace with a grateful and proud smile on his face

She made her way slowly toward him as the rest of the residents of Grimmauld Place seemed to file back into the warmth of the house.

They stood a foot from one another, their breaths puffs before them as their eyes met.

She noticed idly that it had begun to snow and the flakes were sticking to his hair and the tips of his lashes like beads of glass.

He almost looked like he belonged amongst the wintery backdrop.

He shivered again drawing her attention away from her thoughts, before he roughly cleared his throat.

"Hi."

She blinked quickly, suddenly so overwhelmed and her vision blurring before she choked out a laugh.

Draco looked alarmed, but she hardly registered it as she flung her arms around him, the words of a warming charm on her lips.

"For Merlin's sake can't you ever remember to do your own charm?"

He laughed lowly, his own arms slowly coming up to return her embrace.

"I had one. It must have faded."

She pulled away before shoving him roughly.

"Gods you've got to stop doing that. I...I was so worried Draco." She said looking up at him, "You lot were gone for hours, and you didn't even say anything."

He looked contrite for a moment before he pulled her back to him.

"I know, but it was worth it. We got Ted and Griphook."

She shook her head, burying it in his chest.

"You didn't have to worry so much."

But she did. She'd worried enough to believe she'd go mad from it. She'd been avoiding the true meaning behind the strength of her feelings when it came to him for so long, denying them in favor of the logical bit of her mind that declared it to soon but... In those hours he and the rest had been noted missing, she'd come to accept it without a moment's hesitation.

She lo-

Her train of thought was broken as she felt him shudder against her again.

"You're still cold." She murmured before straightening and lacing her hands with his stiff near frozen ones.

"I'm ok." he murmured looking slightly embarrassed by her concern before turning to the side to cough softly.

She shook her head in exasperation as a smile spread across her face at his antics.

"Come on." She tugged him into the house.

"I don't know how you can fight the most dangerous Death Eaters out there and survive when you can't remember to do a decent warming charm to save your life."

Draco laughed, and she relished the echo of the sound from behind her as she led him up the steps.

She absolutely loved it.

His laugh.

The dimple in his cheek.

The way he could rapidly fire off spells that gave wizards twice his age trouble and still forget a simple warming charm.

She loved him.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: I really loved how this chapter turned out, enjoy! and Review! Review! Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco huddled under the blankets, wishing he could simply sleep, preferably for the next week and let this holiday season pass him by. Though, he'd settle for simply feeling warm.

Christmas was tomorrow.

He shuddered.

He'd scarcely felt warm since coming back from their impromptu rescue mission a few days ago. It had made his lungs ache in his chest more than usual.

He shook his head and rolled over to his back and let his eyes drift up to the ceiling.

He idly flicked his wrist and let the image of the night sky slowly color the ceiling and down the walls.

He hated it. How he'd been in this funk...how he always got into this funk. It didn't seem right for him to just slip away. What right did he have?

His Uncle Ted was still recovering from all the complications of nearly freezing to death. The goblin had only just woken the other day.

All of his troubles...all his memories didn't seem to compare to the urgency of everything around him. Yet, it hadn't stopped him from dodging everyone and giving the excuse he felt sick….though that was true enough in.

He rubbed his face before dropping his hand to rest on his chest. Leaning his head to the side, he could make out the faint sounds of footsteps echoing somewhere in the house. Restlessness loved company it seemed.

He shook his head before ending the spell and kicking off his covers. Sleep wasn't coming no matter how much he wanted it and a shower was in order.

He nearly burned under the shower head. He'd turned the water to scorching and still he stepped out and dressed feeling like it was all for not.

Why wasn't he surprised at that?

He managed to slip into shoes and make it down the steps without too much discomfort in his leg before he turned and headed into the kitchen intent on making himself tea.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he wasn't alone until the sound of a throat clearing drew him back into reality.

He froze, hand still on the cabinet handle as he met Sirius's face. His father also had a cup of tea before him with a thin, nearly, welcoming smile on his face.

"Morning." He finally said, wincing at how hoarse his voice sounded.

Sirius smiled wider, indicating for him to take a seat before him.

"I was wondering when you'd rejoin the rest of us." Sirius said before summoning another mug.

Draco took it without a word taking a long sip, nearly moaning in satisfaction at the warmth that came over him.

"I didn't mean to worry anyone." He finally said, placing his mug in front of him and cupping it with both hands.

Sirius shook his head.

"I figured I'd let you avoid me for a little while."

He snapped his head up instantly worried at what he'd see on Sirius's face. It was surprising then, for all that that Sirius only looked understanding if a tad bit sad.

"I know this time of year is hard for you, and we've never...had the opportunity." Sirius trailed off grimacing before he pasted another small smile on his face, "So I thought I'd give you the space you obviously wanted."

Draco shook his head not knowing what exactly to say.

Sirius seemed to sense this and simply continued as he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

"Since we're already a bit unconventional in how we do things, I figure giving you one of your presents a day early is probably fitting."

He felt his heart pound as he hesitantly accepted the box from his father, staring at it, unsure if he should open it or not.

"I didn't know what I could possibly give you that you hadn't been given before." Sirius said hesitantly, and Draco could honestly say he'd never seen the man more nervous. "And then I started thinking about how you haven't been sleeping well."

Draco opened his mouth to protest, when he was cut off before he could begin by Sirius.

"And truly I was at a loss and well." Sirius took a breath, "I read a Muggle book and I thought that if you had happier memories …that if you knew _her_ better it might help-" Sirius paused looking over his face, "Drown out everything else."

Draco stared down at the box still unopened in his hands. Slowly, he opened it. His hand came up and fingered the pendant in the box.

"It will go with the ring you wear."

He looked up suddenly, embarrassed and somewhat guilty at the realization that Sirius knew he held the last bit of his mother that still existed on this earth.

He pulled the chain then, breaking the spell that made it invisible to most people around him.

Sirius was smiling slightly as his eyes drifted between the ring and Draco, and for a moment Draco wondered just how much of his mother Sirius saw every time he looked at him.

His father than grew solemn as he focused on his face once more.

"I don't want to pressure you into it, but I thought I would give you the option." Sirius said standing and laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "For when you're ready."

Draco sat, staring at the box for quite some time after Sirius had left him to dwell before he got up and went down to his potion's lab for privacy. His curiosity had always been his undoing. He didn't see why that would suddenly stop now.

He traced the oval pendant, following the carved constellation and mouthing the phrase carved around its edges.

 _Per aspera ad astra._

Through hardships to the stars.

Fitting for his family as it were.

He let out a breath. He supposed the only question that remained was whether he wanted…was ready to see anything that made Elena Malfoy real.

But would he ever be?

17 years later and not once had he been able to stomach the idea…

Though wasn't it about time? What more had he to fear? What was worse than what he'd already seen?

Despite everything, Sirius did have a point. Would it be so bad if it meant he might have some peace of mind after seeing...after knowing.

"It's about time I met you." He whispered to himself before pressing his thumb to the constellation and with a whisper he activated the charm.

* * *

He blinked and suddenly he was back in a ballroom he was intimately familiar with. His eyes darted around taking in the slight differences in the wallpaper and the style of the robes the various guests were wearing.

It wasn't long before his eyes caught the two he was meant to find.

It was strange seeing his father no more than 9 before him stiffly dancing with a girl he knew to be his mother. Then, just as Andromeda said it would happen he saw his mother stomp on his father's foot on purpose as their bickering grew more obvious until she shoved him away and stalked off to the opposite side of the ballroom.

He came closer and watched as the young Sirius drifted to the side and a younger boy who bore an uncanny resemblance to his father joined him with a wide grin on his face.

Regulus.

"I like her." His uncle, another person he'd never meet, spoke.

"Shut it." Sirius hissed at him in response.

The memory fell away into darkness with the sound of Regulus's soft laughter.

The next memory was at Hogwarts. His father was 13 and perched at the Gryffindor table. There was a carefree look pasted on his face, but one glance at his eyes gave him away to those who knew what to look for.

For one, they kept drifting to the black-haired head at the Slytherin table that sat somewhat secluded from the rest. From this distance, it was hard to say if that was by choice or ostracization.

A little further down and he recognized Lucius looking incredibly young but just as proud at the tender age of 16.

The hall was silent as a blonde first year made her way up to the sorting hat.

"Probably straight to Slytherin that one. Just like her brother." Some boy said whispering rather loudly into Sirius's ear. His father made a noise that signaled neither assent nor disagreement. Instead, his gray blue eyes were fixed on the youngest Malfoy as she sat with perfect posture and the hat was placed on her head.

A murmur went through the hall when a house was not immediately called. Such a thing was unheard of.

The whispers seemed to grow louder, and Draco chanced a glance at Lucius, who looked pale and somewhere between angry, worried, and…afraid.

Unsettled, he let his eyes drift back to Sirius who was looking at Elena intently like a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.

Then the hat called out Slytherin, and the tense air in the hall seemed to dissipate. The world was righted and another Malfoy had been placed into Slytherin.

"That was interesting."

He turned to the source of the voice coming face to face with a young Remus Lupin who was watching Sirius nearly as closely as Draco was.

Sirius shrugged feigning nonchalance with practiced ease.

"Not too interesting. Those Malfoys, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves outside of a dungeon."

"Shame." Remus said with a bemused expression on his face, "She's quite pretty."

Sirius's jaw clenched before the action was hidden in a wide smirk he flashed at the other.

"Why Moony I didn't know you were partial to _snake_."

Remus shrugged going back to his dinner, but Draco couldn't tear his eye away from Sirius and the group he was watching at the Slytherin table across the room.

Elena Malfoy had swiftly been given a seat next to her brother and while the two seemed to be politely conversing with each other and those around them, he could see the tension they both were sporting.

He was familiar enough with the actions to know the two were in for an altercation once alone.

He waited for the memory to fade, but the scene before him didn't change. He watched as the feast came to a close and the perfects were called to escort their houses to their Common Rooms. It was at this point that Sirius seemed to slip away.

He quickly followed the memory of his father down the hall and to the side. Sirius hid himself near the turn in the hall, a murmured silencing spell on him as he strained his ear to the side.

Curious, Draco strode around the corner of the wall and took in the sight before him.

Lucius was pacing, clearly agitated, before the recently sorted Elena.

It was just so odd to see them side by side. The coloring…the resemblance was incredible.

Finally, Lucius stopped and turned to his mother abruptly.

"What were you thinking?" he hissed.

Elena gave him a baleful look. "I can hardly be blamed for the Sorting Hat's debate."

"There shouldn't have even been a debate. I told you –"

"I know." She exclaimed, her expression cool, "Believe me I know."

At her face, Lucius seemed to deflate. "Lena." He said softly, "Don't you want to be safe?"

Elena smiled weakly, "I was sorted into Slytherin brother, I know how to keep safe." She let out a breath before stepping forward and placing a chaste kiss to Lucius's cheek.

A shock more than anything. He couldn't even recall the last time he'd seen Lucius Malfoy accept such a tender and loving gesture and in public no less.

"Go. They'll think we've been quarrelling. Spread some excuse and I'll be down in a few minutes."

Lucius looked like he wanted to protest but after a moment nodded and was off with a simple turn on his heel.

He watched his mother sigh heavily and lean against the wall before he turned his gaze back to Sirius who seemed to be debating whether to step forward or flee the scene.

The former seemed to be the decision, and as he stepped quickly around the corner and into the hall he rammed head on with the pacing form of his mother.

He watched as they quickly pulled away from each other.

He could practically feel the tension between them until it was broken by the breath Elena drew in as she forced her eyes up to Sirius's.

"Hello Sirius."

If he was shocked at the polite address, his father didn't show it. Instead he inclined his head as

he returned the greeting.

"Elena."

The silence fell between them again as Elena seemed caught up in examining Sirius.

"I'd heard you'd been sorted into red and gold, but seeing it is still a bit of a shock." She finally said.

Sirius shrugged. "And you in green and silver despite everything." He caught her gaze, "So why'd you argue with the Hat?"

Elena blinked for a moment before letting out a small laugh, "Still have no tact I see."

Sirius shrugged again, and how that constituted as a proper answer Draco would never know.

"I think you know more than anyone why I would argue." Elena said quietly.

Sirius looked pained for a moment before nodding, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But you still gave in."

Now it was Elena's turn to shrug, "I am who I am. I can't hide that." She smoothed her robes, her fingers lingering at the green and silver tie now around her neck.

"Besides, I made a discovery."

"Oh?"

"I figure the best way to watch an enemy is at their doorstep."

Sirius blinked, but didn't seem all that surprised by her declaration.

"And just who is your enemy Miss Malfoy?"

A mixed series of emotions seemed to flash over her face at the statement before she shook her head and let out a tired puff of air.

"Life gives us two enemies; fear and time. I have too much of one and too little of the other."

Sirius looked troubled for a moment, but he blinked and it was gone. He let out a soft sigh before meeting Elena's eyes.

"Watch over my brother. I think they give him a harder time because of me."

Elena tilted her head to the side, and it was evident that she was more than a little surprised by the request.

"What makes you think I can?"

"Your brother controls Slytherin for another year, and I wouldn't underestimate your own influence. You're just as much the Princess to his Prince."

"And I suppose this is the part where I remind you of the Prince you could have been?"

"Well I am charming enough to be one" Sirius smirked.

Elena looked at him for a moment before bursting out into peals of laughter, her hand coming to cover her mouth as she struggled. "Oh gods is that how you open with all those girls? Merlin help the poor fools."

Sirius shrugged, waggling his brows at her sending her into another fit of laughter. As she finally calmed, she stood straighter, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Sirius was now watching her closely again, as though trying to both figure her out and take her in all at once.

"You look good Malfoy. Nearly all grown up." Sirius said in a teasing manner.

Elena rolled her eyes, a smile still on her lips as she ignored the compliment. "You know these sorts of things are a favor for a favor."

"I guess I'll just have to owe you."

She smiled then coyly. "Alright then Black. I suppose I'll see you around." She said, adopting his surname as he'd done with her.

He didn't know why, but his heart clenched then watching his parents smile slyly to one another before drifting their separate ways. He blinked back, his vision just a bit blurry.

This was the point in which he'd become a possibility.

This was their true beginning, and like that he found he couldn't breathe.

This time for a reason other than his usual.

He couldn't watch anymore. He didn't think he could handle it.

He clutched the locket and murmured the ending incantation and stumbled to the far wall of cellar letting his knees give way as he slid against the hard frame and down to the floor.

* * *

Any other time, Christmas was one of Hermione's favorite times of the year. Snow coating the earth like white fairy dust and the general festive atmosphere had always left her breathless and warm.

If she were completely honest, she still felt it now. She'd joined Tonks on her mission to decorate Grimmauld and even helped in collaboration with Mrs. Weasley on the prospective Christmas dinner tomorrow.

The difference; though, came in her thoughts as she worked. Those dark possibilities were never far from her mind.

And neither was Draco.

She was worried about this forced seclusion, though his claims about feeling sick seemed valid enough. He'd had more fits than was right, didn't sleep well, never wanted to eat. He was stuck in some low rut that she didn't know how to pull him out of.

She'd forced him down to eat and came up to visit him. Though, they never did much, sitting up on his bed next to him. He never spoke much, mostly they sat with her firmly enveloped in his arms.

Though, sometimes when she went up she'd find him fast asleep. Knowing how little he got of it, she'd leave him.

She went through distractions, threw herself into helping Tonks, now heavily pregnant, helping Andromeda with Ted…

Though she'd had some good news this morning after coming down and seeing Sirius smiling to himself in the kitchen saying Draco was feeling better and might join them later in the evening. Then he'd taken the boys out for a quick game of Quidditch.

She sighed, looking out the window and watching the brooms as they each sped by.

It was truly amazing to see, even if she was never as invested in the sport as the boys.

"It never goes away."

She turned.

Ted was leaning against the door to the library before he pushed away and walked slowly to join her at the window.

"It doesn't matter how long it's been, but it always gets me; how amazing this world is." He said letting his eyes follow Harry as he zoomed in front of Ron.

"Yeah." She whispered. She'd felt a kinship toward Ted since getting to know him over the past few days. He was the only one who understood how it felt to go from knowing nothing to being thrust into a whole new way of life.

Ted smiled slightly, "Andy'll be reading and then out of nowhere she'll summon a cup of tea."

She turned taking in Ted's face as he talked about his wife.

"It's such a simple spell. You learn it in first year, but, " he took a breath, "It's the most magical thing in the world."

She smiled.

They sat watching the boys finish their game before they all stumbled in, and Ted went off to rest.

It was a little bit after that that Harry and Ron found her still seated by the window just watching the snow fall.

It's also where Harry told her of his plan to talk to Griphook.

"Harry he's only just woke up." She said turning to look at the two of them, growing unsettled at how insistent they seemed.

"We can't keep waiting Hermione. What if he decides to leave before we even get the chance to ask?"

She shook her head. "We should wait for a little bit. None of us have much experience with goblins and as much as it pains me to admit they are crafty. He's not going to give us information from the good of his heart. Dr-"

"Draco isn't here." Ron interrupted, "And we have no way of knowing when he's going to snap back into it. We need to at least get the ground work done."

She was overruled and she knew it. She let out a breath. She'd have to be the levelheaded one during this interrogation, and she couldn't do that if she kept pushing them away.

"Alright." She said standing up. "Let's go."

* * *

Draco stood uneasily wiping at his face as he let out a long sigh. He felt...oddly better. Like something had physically been lifted off him. Perhaps his father had had the right idea after all.

Part of him was now curious to see what other memories Sirius had placed into the pendant.

He smiled slightly at the thought as he managed to pull himself up the stairs and emerged in the kitchen.

"Oh Draco." He blinked at the slight change in light before he was enveloped by Tonks in a firm hug.

"Finally. I'd wondered if you'd gone and hibernated on us." She mused before pulling away and placing a hand on her swollen abdomen.

He shook his head, a sheepish smile spreading along his face. "Yeah." He coughed lightly, "I'm feeling better now."

She smiled brighter kissing his temple. "Good."

He returned it before his eyes darted around the room taken in the emptiness and the apparent quiet.

"Where is everyone?" He asked turning back to his cousin. Tonks shrugged. "Saw the three of them head upstairs toward the attic not too long ago."

He frowned. The attic? Why on earth…

He sucked in a breath. No. They wouldn't.

He swore before darting out of the kitchen and dashing up the stairs.

Did none of them have any sense?

* * *

Hermione didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. Harry was still arguing with Griphook about surrendering the sword, but the goblin seemed adamant that that was the only thing he'd accept before he spoke a thing to them.

It was a disaster, and part of her couldn't help the anger that the whole debate had incited from clouding her own judgment. She wanted nothing more than to take Griphook by the arms and shake him until he saw reason.

Did he not see the war around them? Did he not care?

They'd reached a standstill and somehow she knew that the price they were about to pay was too high.

What if they needed the sword again?

There were still 2 other horcruxes to destroy. They were giving up the only weapon they had against them for only information on 1.

She heard Harry sigh.

"Alright I-"

"Don't."

She blinked, her head snapping to the door that had been thrown open and the disheveled figure in the doorway.

Draco was flushed, breathing in gasps as he strode across the room. He waved his hand shutting the door behind him as he crossed with his face twisted into a familiar sneer as he came before Griphook.

"Don't agree to anything." Draco hissed, keeping his eyes on Griphook.

The goblin, to his credit, didn't even flinch at the poison dripping from each of Draco's words. Though she did see the recognition.

"I have known people like you my whole life." Draco continued lowly, "And I am not as easily fooled as the rest of these lot."

She gripped Ron's arm to keep him from causing an uproar at that.

"I am not trading an ace for a joker." Draco said looking Griphook up and down, "Make no mistake. I can do what I need to do without what you have to say. This is supplementary."

For a moment, Draco's eyes flickered away from Griphook and settled on her.

She held her breath and only let it go when his mercurial eyes drifted away from hers.

"With that in mind I'm sure we can reach an agreement that satisfies us both."

* * *

Negotiation was definitely a skill of Slytherins.

Draco seemed to speak the same language as Griphook. Charm. Wit. And a tongue edged with silver.

They'd finally agreed to a trade.

One bracelet, Goblin made in the 1700's, for information that they needed.

He'd saved them the sword.

And with that knowledge she could breathe a little easier.

Draco sat back in his chair as he tilted his head to the side in thought.

"Why did you leave?"

Griphook stared at him. "You don't want to know about the vault?"

Draco smirked. "I know the vault. I know where it is, the defenses, which corridor. I know for a fact that even the wards have been altered every time my aunt has paid a visit to the bank in the past month." He folded his arms against his chest, "Don't con me and answer my question."

Just like that she knew what he was doing. He was pushing Griphook to reveal his motives before he even broached anything to do with what they were planning.

Strategic.

Griphook stared at Draco, and for a moment, she swore she saw the goblin smile.

"I don't like bad investments."

Draco's brow rose.

"You see them all the time. People attracted to how good they look on the surface that they don't realize the entire things holding on by a thread." Griphook sneered, "Goblins stay away from them, so we stay out of wizard affairs. By the end, someone will still be keeping the gold moving and the system stays afloat."

Griphook sat back and glanced one by one at all four of them.

"But not this time." he continued, "I don't like bad investments. I hate unstable one. Your war will bleed into ours soon. It's only a matter of time before someone realizes goblins aren't the only one's who can manage money."

Her heart thudded. It was so cold. Such calculated reasoning, but it aligned with them didn't it. Wasn't that what mattered?

Draco was mulling over the words before he seemed to nod to himself.

He cleared his throat, "So if you went into Gringott's tomorrow what would your co-workers say?"

It was almost too easy after that, to spin the story they wanted and cement the plans they'd barely strung together on paper. Draco was a natural, but with his role largely done he let them all step in and interject as needed.

Hermione could tell he was still angry though.

Angry in a way that was more hurt, festering in him; though he hid it well. They'd sidestepped him and it had nearly cost them too much.

She could understand that.

They were quick to finish with Griphook then, and while Harry and Ron were quick to disappear down the steps in search for dinner, she lingered behind waiting for Draco to fall into step with her.

She waited. Waited for him to clear his throat. To start talking. Anything.

He didn't.

Eventually, right at the second floor landing, she snapped.

"Draco." She turned to face him, "Please say something."

He scowled, folding his arms and pressing them against his chest. "And say what Hermione? That the three of you went in blind to negotiate with a goblin and nearly compromised everything I've been working on for most of my life?"

She flinched at his cool tone.

"I know. I know, but Harry wanted-"

"So if Potter wanted you to sell your firstborn you'd do it? For the good of the cause?" he snapped back, "Honestly it's a miracle he hasn't gotten all of you killed with that kind of loyalty."

"You have no right Draco Black." She hissed, feeling her anger mounting. Why couldn't he just accept her apologY? Why couldn't he understand that they all meant well? Why did he still not trust Harry?

"If I die throughout this it's not because of Harry. It will be because of my choices and my mistakes."

Draco groaned, running his hands through his hair.

"Don't you know how incredibly stupid that sounds."

"You're acting like loyalty and bravery are bad things."

"They are if they get you hurt." Draco shouted, "Merlin don't you realize if something happened to you, I'd die along with you."

She recoiled in shock, stumbling for a moment and finding her balance along the stair railing.

Draco paced out into the hall, growing agitated.

"I mean how could I not? You're so smart, so fucking beautiful, and brave,. Gods I don't deserve you, but it doesn't stop me from wanting you anyway." He said lowly, dropping his head to look at the ground with both his hands wrapped around the back of his neck.

"I love you." She whispered, before covering her mouth stunned that the words had somehow fallen out without her meaning to say them.

Draco looked up quickly his face twisted in pain. "You shouldn't. You can't." he whispered, "You don't know...you don't know the me that's under all this."

She pushed off the wall and walked toward him.

She pursed her lips taking in his slightly reddened eyes and trembling chin with her heart cracking at the sight.

And she continued walking.

She walked until she was right in front of him placing two shaking hands on either side of his face.

"I know you." she whispered, "I know every bit of you. I know you love anything coated in sugar, and I know you could destroy an opponent with three spells if you wanted. I know you love flying, and I know that you'd fight until you were broken for everyone you care about. I know you can't remember to do a decent warming charm for anything." She choked out, her vision blurring as she blinked.

Draco shook as he closed his eyes, turning his head and pressing a soft kiss to her palm.

"And I know you don't trust easy...that you love fiercely." She continued, her breath shuddering at the slight wetness that was dripping into her hand.

She moved her hands so that he was facing her once more.

"I love you." He said hoarsely, his bright eyes darting across her face.

"I love you too."

He smirked for a moment, and she thought she might die at how utterly perfect he looked with his stained face and familiar half smile.

She barely had time to think anything else before his mouth was on hers and his hands were trailing everywhere from around her face to down her back and creeping up her sides.

"Please." he broke away, leaning his face so that his lips were moving along the soft skin of her collarbone. "Please be careful."

She opened her eyes to look at him unsure how to promise something she wasn't sure she could guarantee. But then, didn't she want the same promise from him? And he being so much more daring than her...so rebellious.

"I always try." She said instead. Draco seemed to accept the answer with a relieved sigh and a kiss to her collarbone.

"Good." he murmured before a wicked kind of smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and he picked her up tossing her over his shoulder.

"You love me huh?" he said.

"Draco!" She exclaimed hitting his back playfully, "Let me go."

He turned his head up to her as he walked easily toward his room.

"Not a chance."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: So life has been extremely busy, but here's a longer update to make up for it! Let me know what you think. Reviews=love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Hermione tossed off her covers as she struggled and failed to prevent that same childish energy from taking over as it had when she'd been younger.

It was Christmas morning.

Very early Christmas morning.

She glanced at the clock before conceding that she was not going to be able to fall back asleep any time soon.

She dressed quickly before carefully starting down the stairs pausing only at the second floor. A quick glance showed _his_ door slightly ajar.

She shook her head in exasperation before continuing down the steps and turning down the hall. She had a feeling that she knew exactly where he was.

* * *

There was a low light shining beneath the doorway to the library, and it's presence alone was all the confirmation she needed that she'd been right.

She pushed open the door and pauses at the doorway with a fond smile pulling at her lips.

Draco was spread across a couch with an open book flat on his chest. His hair was messed in different directions, and those glasses he rarely wore were dangerously close to falling off his nose.

Then, as though sensing her gaze, Draco shifted with a hand coming up to rub at his face.

He blinked and turned until his sleepy gaze seemed to focus on her and somehow that was enough to prompt her feet forward until she came to sit at the edge of his couch.

He sat up, self consciously trying to comb through his sleep mussed hair.

"Happy Christmas." She murmured as she ran her fingers through the wayward hairs he'd missed.

"Happy Christmas." He echoed with a thin smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She tilted her head wondering if somehow she'd miraculously be able to identify that melancholy look's meaning, when Draco stretched and turned to swing himself into a seated position. In doing so, he afforded her a glimpse of a silver chain peeking out from beneath his shirt that hung displaced to one side and exposing most of his collarbone.

He ran his hand once more through his hair before noticing her gaze. He seemed a bit confused before he realized what she was looking at.

He pulled at the chain so that it lay above his shirt.

At his nod, she reached out and fingered the two contents threaded through it. There was an interesting pendant carved with constellations and a ring. The later which seemed to draw most her attention as she marveled at how simple though beautiful the thin band was.

"It was my mother's wedding ring. Mum gave it to me when I first found out about her."

She nodded noticing the engraving on the inside of the ring, letting her thumb trace the lettering.

"Her birthday was a few days ago, the 21st." Draco murmured, "She...the fire happened on the 27th."

Her eyes widened. It was no wonder he'd been in such a rut for the passed week. Frankly, she was surprised Sirius had held himself together for so long.

He'd never hinted at it, even when the trio had spent Christmas Eve with the man in years passed.

How much had the two of them covered up for the sake of this life long lie?

Seeing her face, Draco forced his lips to curl up in a weak smile. "It's alright. I've had good Christmases before. Maybe not after I put the pieces together, but I've had some."

"But never enjoyed it." she finished, overwhelmed at the feeling of sadness at the thought.

Draco hesitated before nodding.

"It's very formal at the Manor. Nice, but not really homey from the few memories I have from childhood. Then 3rd year, Sirius had escaped and everything was...tense for a lack of a better word." His eyes adopted a faraway look. "4th year, he spent it with Potter so I didn't exactly feel like celebrating much. 5th Lucius was practically holding us in a prison. 6th...well last year, _he_ spent it with us." Draco shuddered at that.

She reached out and took his hand into hers, threading their fingers together.

"Today will be better." She said lightly kissing his cheek before pulling him to stand.

He eyed her, and she felt her cheeks warm at the intensity of his gaze.

"It already is."

* * *

Draco paused before continuing to the kitchen where a loud cacophony of voices was heard. The Weasley clan had insisted on joining in, and not long after he'd dressed, wished the other occupants in the house a Happy Christmas, he'd come upon the entire ginger clan in his living room.

It was overwhelming to say the least, and the idea that they would be exchanging gifts soon actually had him anxious (if only for the fact that the Weasley twins were involved).

He bypassed the kitchen and settled in the sitting room intent on just enjoying the warmth of the fire until everyone else seemed to calm down.

He lingered at the entryway and found he wasn't the only one who'd had the same idea.

"I didn't realize you were coming."

The dark haired figure shifted to the side and caught his gaze. "Only for a little while." Snape said before standing, "I haven't missed a single holiday with you before have I?"

Draco swallowed roughly, shaking his head in response.

"Than I shouldn't start now." He finished simply.

Not knowing how to respond to that he gestured for Snape to sit back down as he took the free arm chair for himself.

"How are things?" He finally said.

Snape studied him for a moment before letting out a breath and speaking, "Tense. He grows more paranoid as the days go by." He paused for a moment, "He's added more precautions to Hogwarts. What happened with Carrow put him ill at ease."

Draco felt his cheeks heat at the implication, but refused to openly acknowledge it.

"And my Mum?"

"He's been distracted lately, allowing her to fade into the background." Snape gestured to the package at his feet before pulling his wand and spelling it over to him. "Her gift to you."

He took it before wordlessly placing it to the side. He'd open it later when he was alone and better able to deal with the heaviness in his chest from the gesture.

Snape nodded before sitting back in his chair.

"Do you wish to know about Lucius?"

He bit his lip.

Did he want to know?

He was confused on his feelings on the man to say the least. The fact that Narcissa had openly defended him when she hadn't done so before spoke volumes.

And the man had raised him in his own distant and firm way.

After a moment, he nodded in reply.

"He's reached out to the Order."

He held his breath waiting for his godfather to continue.

"It took 3 attempts before Shacklebolt was willing to entertain him. He asked about you."

"And what did they say?" Draco finally said.

"That they couldn't confirm your whereabouts."

He shook his head growing lost in thought.

They'd effectively told Lucius he was well and that they had an idea of his whereabouts without letting on they knew exactly where he was. The catch though was that they'd left it open as to where exactly he stood with them. Ally or prisoner or in hiding and somewhere in between the other two.

It definitely was an interesting thing he'd have to consider.

He'd already negotiated for amnesty for Narcissa before, but Lucius could easily be added now that he'd shown willingness to convert.

He'd have to talk to Remus about it.

"I suppose that's good enough for now. He may not accept that response for long."

Snape nodded. "The more he is willing to risk the more forthcoming the Order will be." Snape sneered, "They will certainly want more than the faintest bit of goodwill to offer help in turn."

He nodded pressing his lips into a thin line. He wondered, of the two of them, which had been more fucked over by the very organization they'd pledged too.

He sighed leaning back in his chair when Snape cleared his throat, catching his attention once more.

"And how are you doing?"

He shrugged noncommittedly as Snape continued.

"Black tells me you've grown rather close with Miss Granger."

He said nothing, pulling the chain around his neck out to finger both the pendant and the ring that hung from it.

"Surprisingly, this year has been better than most in many ways. But" He began, letting his thumb trace the constellation on the pendant. "It does make me worry about other things...other people."

He saw Snape straighten in his seat and lean forward to hear his low voice.

"Do you ever think about her? Your reason for all this?" he said then, wondering if Snape would indulge him or not.

"All the time." Snape said softly, "I loved her."

He nodded letting his eyes drift to his feet as Snape continued. "And maybe once she loved me too, but time has allowed me to remember it all objectively. I have spent so long obsessed in her memory, in our old child's love that it has stopped me from moving forward as I should."

"But still." Draco murmured.

Snape sighed. "But still." He agreed.

Draco fisted his hands. "I want a better ending then that."

Snape looked at him hard. "I pray you get it."

Snape stood then, his robes a black wave behind him. He reached into his pocket and pulled a drawstring pouch, handing it to him.

"Happy Christmas Draco." He said before turning and stepping toward the Floo.

* * *

Hermione smiled at the gathering before her. She'd managed to help Molly keep everyone from prematurely rushing to the gifts until after they'd eaten.

Now though, it was an entire free for all with everyone opening gifts left and right.

Well, mostly everyone.

She eyed Draco who was seated to the side, seemingly withdrawn from everyone else. It had been a risk to have him out in the open with Ginny coming.

The girl could hardly safeguard her mind against invasion, but with how often she'd likely be put in such a position so low they'd simply let it go.

At any rate, Ginny wouldn't be advertising Draco's presence to anyone. She certainly had more sense than that.

He'd gotten a Weasley jumper from Molly. The conflict of emotions on his face had made her heart pound, and as he thanked her...well she nearly cried then.

Overall though, it was such a beautiful thing that they could all come together and find some bit of happiness.

Her eyes drifted as Tonks stood and sat beside her cousin. Their heads were bent close together. In deep conversation, Draco seemed to ease back and grow comfortable. Though that in and of itself might just be because it was Tonks that he was talking too. The other woman always pushed her way into people's lives and brought with her a lighthearted nature that couldn't be replicated.

Honestly, the way the two looked now. You'd think they were siblings. And loved each other just like they were.

Draco's gift to Tonks had been adorable, and frankly, made her wonder where and when he'd been able to sneak off in order to get it. Blue baby clothes and a crib that was absolutely beautiful.

He hadn't given her gift yet and as a result she hadn't been able to give him his.

She had a feeling it was something he'd wanted to do in private.

Out of the corner of her eye, she made out a flash of red taking the seat beside her. She turned and smiled at Ginny who was watching her closely before turning her head to see what she'd been looking at just a moment before.

"I almost felt like I walked into a different universe when we first came in." Ginny said as she turned her eyes back to meet hers.

"I'm sure it was a bit strange."

"A bit." Ginny snorted, "A bit is an understatement Hermione."

She laughed lightly, wondering just where Ginny would go with this conversation.

"It's nice though. Everyone getting along." Ginny gave her a knowing smirk then, "Some of us more than others."

She felt herself blush at that as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"It's been more than nice...really sometimes it's perfect." She cleared her throat, "It was just so unexpected-"

"But felt right?" Ginny finished.

Hermione nodded before feeling a unmeasurable amount of guilt for her happiness when Ginny's eyes turned to land on Harry.

"I miss him so much." Ginny whispered, "Even though most of the time I hate him for leaving me out."

"You know why he does Gin."

"It never stops him from involving my brother or you."

She winced at that. Truly, she both understood and detested Harry's reasoning, but it was not her place to intervene in something so private.

Besides, even if one overlooked Harry's reasoning, Ginny was still underage. The trace alone would have been enough to ask her to stay.

"Gin." She said softly.

The other girl waved her off, stopping her from continuing.

"It's fine Hermione. Maybe it didn't feel like that at first, but I understand it now. It's just made me work even harder to fight whatever is going on where I am."

She bit her lip, "Ginny, don't-"

"Don't tell me not to fight Hermione Granger."

She shook her head, a smile blossoming as she took in the fiery girl before her. Ginny was certainly capable of anything she set her eyes on.

"I was going to say don't get caught."

Ginny's expression softened. "I know I'm no you, but I think what the lot of us have planned is good." Ginny paused for a moment, and she thought the girl looked eerily like the vulnerable 1st year she'd been so long ago. "Would you...Could you."

"Tell me what you've planned."

She had to admit that overall Ginny and the rest of their classmates had made solid plans for resisting the terror that had descended over Hogwarts. Using the Room of Requirement alone was a brilliant idea.

In the end, she'd suggested minor improvement. A watch system using member of the DA and trusted portraits and books in the library for spells they each should learn to defend themselves. Though, when Ginny mentioned someone had contacted Luna to broker a deal….well, that had given her pause.

It made her think back to her trip to Hogwarts with Draco.

"They aren't all bad." She'd said before telling her of the few people she knew for sure could be trusted. If Draco was any indication, the Slytherins had a lot to contribute to the cause.

She retreated from the bustle of the common room into the kitchen.

It's where she found him, leaning against the counter with a mug in hand a slender box sitting on the counter top.

"Hey." She said, unsure why her voice had suddenly grown so soft.

He smiled in return before motioning at the box.

"I wanted to give you your gift."

She smiled widely before excusing herself and rushing up the steps to her room to retrieve his gifts.

He was still right where she left him when she got back.

She handed him the wrapped package, keeping his second gift in her hand.

He looked at her with a question clear on his face at the size and weight of the gift in his hands.

She flushed slightly.

"I know everyone usually expects me to gift books, and I try not to because of that." She rushed to explain, calming only slightly at the little smirk on his face at her rambling. "But I thought these were appropriate."

At that, Draco carefully unwrapped the gift, staring in wonder at the two books she'd given him.

"The first is a book of myths from around the world about the constellations. I thought it fit because of-"

"My family." He finished with the corner of his mouth edged up. He placed the book on the counter before picking up the second.

"And that. That book seemed important to you, and I wasn't sure if you had it."

Draco traced the title.

 _Brave New World._

"You didn't have to. The one book was enough." He said still with his eyes downcast and studying the cover.

She shook her head. "We all deserve to own the books that changed our lives."

He looked up and smiled widely, flashing that dimple in his cheek that made her heart quicken.

She held her hand out and placed his last gift directly into his outstretched palm.

"And this is," She bit her lip, "More of an necessary gift than anything. It's a protean charm. Harry, Ron, and I have them, and I thought you should have one too."

She'd struggled with how to give this gift both because it was a precaution she needed to address and the second…

Because it was a measure of acceptance.

Draco grew solemn before pulling her close and kissing her hard.

She lost herself in the movements of his mouth as her hands went up to run through his soft hair.

God's, did he know how to spin the world from beneath her feet.

He pulled away slowly. "Thank you." He breathed. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He murmured between kissing her quickly.

She laughed. "Draco."

He grinned dropping his hands from around her waist to drift down to thread his fingers through hers.

His thumb was rubbing the back of her hand as he reached over and grabbed her gift from behind him.

He opened it for her.

Her breath caught at the delicate silver chain and the pendant hanging off it.

"We have a theme I suppose." he murmured, "You know astronomy is big in my family, and I wanted you to have a piece of it too. The constellation is-"

"Virgo." She whispered, "My zodiac."

He nodded, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

It was too much, but really she shouldn't have expected anything less. She reached out and touched the chain. She moved to take it out from the box, when Draco's hand came to curl around hers stopping her movement.

"Before you take it." Draco began, "I'm sure you've at least heard of pureblood courting rites."

She looked up at him, her brows furrowing before she realized what he was talking about and dropped her hand.

"This isn't that." He continued quickly, "Maybe one day, after you're sure that you'd want to stay with me after seeing everything...I'll give you a token to show the world you're going to be mine in every way."

She felt a bit of relief at that, but her curiosity was intrigued. "And why did you decide not to," she chewed her lip, "give me that?"

Draco paused, letting his eyes roam across the corners of her face.

"Because I don't want to rush both of us into anything, even though I'm sure if it were up to me." He took a breath, "I think you are probably it for me."

She smiled slightly knowing he was probably incredibly uncomfortable with displaying so much raw emotion at once but still doing it for her sake.

She decided she'd put him out of his misery.

"I suppose next time you'll really have to wow me then. Don't be cheap with me." She teased, reaching out once more to finger the delicate chain.

Draco laughed lightly before pulling the necklace from the box and moving to clasp it around her neck.

He dropped his hands when he was done and that faraway look came into his eyes.

"Perfect." he whispered.

* * *

Draco smiled to himself as he strode down the hall. He couldn't recall ever having enjoyed any holiday as much as he was enjoying today.

He'd left Hermione saying her goodbyes to the Weasleys. He'd taken the opportunity to open the gifts Snape had brought him.

His mother had sent him a batch of her Cauldron Cakes and a plethora of supplies including one large shrunken tent that he prayed he'd never have to use.

His godfather had been just as practical. Potion supplies, a new potion's book, and 3 bezoars that couldn't have been easy to come by.

He'd shrunken both packages to fit into his pockets and was on his way to deposit them in his potion's lab when he caught the slight murmur of voices from one of the sitting rooms to his right.

"Can you tell me more about them?"

He froze recognizing Potter's voice.

"I just want to be closer to them somehow."

He heard the second person start to reply and immediately recognized Sirius's voice. Though, he didn't catch a single word.

A thought had come to mind, and despite his every other logical objection to the suggestion a larger part of him, the human part who'd lost a parent in much the same way, wanted to do it anyway.

Besides, it was a gesture of goodwill. And it was the season of giving so to speak.

 _And Hermione would be pleased._

He took a breath before knocking on the door.

"I know it's not my place," He began, ignoring the two's baffled looks at his appearance, "But maybe we could go to Godric's Hollow."

* * *

He didn't like it. He felt too exposed in this empty cemetery. He glanced forward watching his father, Potter, Weasley, and Hermione huddle around the marked grave.

It had felt too personal to join them.

So he'd lingered behind and taken it upon himself to watch the area around them.

Now though, he couldn't help but be drawn to the emotional display before him. Potter's mouth was moving as though muttering things he wished to tell his parents while his eyes never left the wreath of flowers Hermione had conjured for him to place on the grave.

It was tragically beautiful, and he hated to be the person to disrupt the scene, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they should leave.

He drew his gaze once more around the plot pausing at the opposite entryway where a figure was standing and watching them.

Without so much as making a sound, he drew his wand and walked closer.

He wasn't the only one to notice the figure's presence. Potter was fixing his eyes on what appeared to be a woman.

As though recognizing her, he moved forward despite the obvious hesitancy of those around him.

He seemed to be urgently asking questions, but still the woman remained hunched over and silent.

Draco's eyes narrowed seeing the tremor in the woman's body even from the distance he was at. Without even debating his actions for a moment, he lunged forward shooting a spell that pushed the group of four to side just as the very woman's flesh seemed to tear apart revealing a hideous snake he knew all too well.

"Move." He shouted keeping his head down as he launched another spell.

He made out Hermione shooting a spell of her own as they scattered.

All except Potter who seemed frozen in shock.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He sped up and slammed into Potter.

"Do you have a fucking death wish?" He yelled rolling to the side and scrambling back to his feet.

That half second of distraction cost him.

"No." He heard Sirius scream as he spun around and staggered back at the sight of Nagini lunging at him.

Before he could so much as react, a flash of dark hair darted before him and slammed into the snake.

He blinked, feeling the blood rushing to his head and the sound of his heart drumming in his ears at the sight.

He was losing touch. He knew it.

His mind was moving miles a minute as his body stood petrified at the scene before him.

Not again. Not again.

He could feel his lungs tightening as he forced himself a step forward.

The snake was a Horcrux, and if he had a clean shot he could try to cast fiendfyre, hope he could contain it.

But Sirius was in the way.

And he needed to save his father.

It was an impossible choice and one that was whirling around in his mind making him nearly dizzy.

But then that's how his mind had always worked. It was like Hermione with her puzzles and long paragraphs of information that were constantly on the tip of her tongue at any given time. No. He saw patterns, connected dots that weren't always visible on the surface. Made plans. He would remember things to be sure, even things he'd only heard in passing, but then he'd find those bits of knowledge in places other's didn't immediately expect them to be.

But more than that. His mind worked a lot faster than the rest of him.

And now seeing that vile snake wrapping its body around his father with fangs extended as though to take a bite, well this was another one of those times.

He'd practically short circuited out of awareness. Comprehension. Reaction. All that was fine, but the being in touch with all that was happening that was a no.

But now he had to move.

He shoved Potter toward Hermione and Weasley. "Wait for me with them." He yelled before dashing off toward Sirius and Nagini, skidding to his knees as he came closer, nearly beneath the outstretch of her scaled middle.

He blasted the snake, sending it flying upward. At the hit, his father had fallen limp to the ground. He pulled him up as best he could before dragging them both toward the other three.

Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he reached out for Hermione's hand and in seconds he spun the world out of focus and landed them all in the foyer of Grimmauld Place.

He stumbled to his knees, and as the adrenaline continued to course through him his anxiety returned with a vengeance.

He rolled Sirius onto his back and froze at the blood at his neck.

"No. No. No." he said frantically as his hands darted across his father's chest in search of more injuries.

He could hear Potter behind him going into shock and whining about all the while and he finally snapped.

"Are you hurt?" he hissed, "Are you bitten?" At Potter's shake of his head, his frustration flared to anger. "Then shut up."

He felt someone grip his arm, and he turned to catch sight of warm whiskey eyes.

"Draco." she said softly. "It's not your fault Draco."

He shook beneath her grasp.

"He..I can't. Oh gods. I…"

"You can Draco. You can." She said firmly. "Now I'm going to find Andromeda and Remus and call for the Healer. You are going to stabilize Sirius."

He gripped her hand. "But.. But. When I play for."

"Now Draco." She said firmly before pushing him to his father and darting up the steps.

He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second before immediately beginning to work. He stopped the blood and did scans, but the poison. Nagini's poison.

It was a death sentence no matter what.

Unless.

He dropped his wand and began pulling things out of his pockets frantically. He found the pouch and hastily summoned the one object he knew could possibly help.

A bezoar.

He lifted his father's head gently and forced the stone into his mouth.

"Come on." He muttered, "Swallow." He rubbed at his throat until Sirius did indeed swallow before he stumbled back and sat watching his father's steady breath.

The rest was blur. His aunt and Remus quickly racing down the steps with Hermione at their heels, and then the Healer not long after.

They were each checked over, but really it was pointless.

The only one hurt was his father.

He sat in the chair leaning forward so that his arm was resting on the mattress close to Sirius's hand.

He couldn't bring himself to leave.

He was drowning in it. In his guilt at the suggestion they even go to Godric's Hollow to his fear that his very presence was going to mean Sirius's fate would take a turn for the worst.

He was bad luck.

Wasn't this proof of that?

He startled at the knock at the door and schooled his features at the sight of Potter in his doorway.

He turned his head back to Sirius and Potter seemed to take that to mean it was safe to enter. The other came to stand beside his chair, his gaze trained on Sirius.

When he didn't immediately speak, Draco felt compelled to break the silence. He figured the faster they got this out of the way the faster Potter would leave.

"They said he'll be fine. Probably wake up tomorrow or so."

Potter nodded before turning to face him.

"I'm sorry. I froze, and I should have done something. I...I nearly cost you your father, and."

"Stop." He stood facing Potter. "Stop. It's not your…" He trailed off as it seemed to hit him. Everything everyone had every tried to tell him. "It's not your fault." He continued in a softer voice. "You couldn't have known what would happen."

Potter met his gaze and after a moment understanding and then acceptance seemed to flicker across his face.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek.

"You." He cleared his throat. "You can stay if you'd like."

Potter hesitated before shaking his head. "No. It's fine. Just let me know when he wakes."

He nodded, and at that Potter spun on his heel leaving him once more alone with his father.

He fell back into his seat, leaning back as he chewed his lip.

After a moment, he leant forward and slowly laid his hand on top of his father's cool one.

"Wake up." he mumbled, "Wake up please."

* * *

He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next time his eyes fluttered open it was dark in the room.

He stretched, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes before he froze at the sight.

Sirius was sitting up watching him intently with a fond sort of smile on his face.

"It's nice to know you do care." He said with a teasing tilt in his voice.

He blinked and the next moment he'd thrown his arms around his father hugging him close.

"It's alright. I'm alright." Sirius murmured adding soft reassurances as he rubbed Draco's back soothingly.

Draco pulled away, falling slightly to sit at the edge of the mattress with tears falling slowly down his cheek and off his chin to wet the sheets beneath him.

"I thought." he cleared his throat, "I thought I was going to lose you too." He rubbed at his eyes. Sirius shook his head before leaning forward with a grimace to cup his hands around his face.

"Not today. Not yet. And hopefully not ever."

He couldn't help it that lingering bit of doubt in him from voicing his next words. "But you can't promise that."

It was childish even in his ears, but he'd had to say it.

"The hell I can." Sirius said forcing Draco to laugh weakly at the indignation at his words.

"I promise. I promise Draco."

He nodded numbly before he reached over and hugged Sirius once more.

"Ok."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed, I loved reading every single one! Keep them coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco was enraptured at the scene before him. He was outside on the Hogwarts grounds in the midst of spring watching the various groups of students scattered across the grass near the Black Lake.

His eyes were automatically drawn to the roaring laughter of a group of Gryffindors to his right. His father's dark head was easily visible with Potter's father at his side as they discreetly shot tripping jinxes to unsuspecting passerbyers.

Sirius looked about 16 now, and quite aware at how the growth spurt had aided his looks.

He smirked to himself at that before noticing a trio sitting on the opposite side.

He drifted over and sat a foot away, his eyes automatically drawn to Lena.

She looked quite beautiful with her hair cascading down her back and the light making the waves glow. She was smiling as she talked easily with a dark haired boy that he recognized as his Uncle Regulus. Across from them, his godfather was sitting with an amused expression on his face as he watched the two.

He scooted closer catching bits of the conversation.

"Oh Lucius is definitely smitten." he heard Lena snicker. "I walked in on the two of them once and the speed they pulled away from one another...well you'd have thought a spell was throwing them apart."

"Narcissa is crafty. She certainly made him work for it." Regulus said with a grin.

They chattered along the same lines, and he lost himself in watching the stray glances between Lena and Sirius that they cast when they were certain no one was watching.

"Don't be foolish Elena."

He snapped back to attention, watching Snape as he looked at Lena. The girl was meeting his gaze fiercely.

"You know I'm anything but foolish." she replied tersely.

He watched Regulus shift uncomfortably between them, and he wondered if the two were keeping something from his godfather.

"Don't go looking for trouble." Snape said shooting Regulus an apologetic look.

"Trouble is already in my home." Lena hissed, "My father has ensured it." She pursed her lips, "But you already know that Severus."

Before Snape could respond, Regulus had already straightened and grasped Lena's hand.

"Has Lucius…"

"Not yet." She shook her head, "He's decided to go for a Charms Mastery. It will delay it. Give him time to see how the power shifts."

She grimaced in disgust as she continued.

"My father will play for the winner, but of course his preference is clear."

Regulus winced at the words, and Snape slumped over beside him looking visibly contrite.

"I didn't know you knew." He said softly.

"You'd hoped I didn't." She corrected, "Like you hoped I wouldn't know about their offer to you."

This time his godfather paled as he shifted, his gaze moving around them as he edged closer.

"Lena…"

"You shouldn't do it Severus. It's not worth it."

"It gets me a Mastery doesn't it?" Snape snapped before immediately becoming apologetic. "You know me Lena. You know I won't-"

"You won't have a choice now that they've shown interest in you." Regulus interrupted, "Just as I won't when the time comes."

The two turned to him.

"We could try," Regulus began, "We could do something you know." His eyes drifted to one particular Gryffindor. "Figure out what is going on and even the odds so to speak."

"You're both looking to get us killed." Snape hissed. "There's only so much we can risk before we're exposed, and then where would we be. You think the other side will be as accommodating?"

"I'm saving my brother and Sirius." Lena said through clenched teeth before her gaze shifted to Regulus, "Saving our families. Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved?"

Her eyes were quick to find a redhead across the grounds.

Snape paled noticing the action.

"Of course." he whispered, "Of course, I'd do anything."

* * *

Draco jolted awake dropping the pendant from his hand as he sat up his hands coming to rub the remaining sleep from his eyes.

He'd come to his room rather late last night after Healer Kendricks had made a reappearance to look at his father. He hadn't been able to sleep. His solution had been to explore more of the memories locked away in the pendant.

He'd gotten through three years at Hogwarts as his parents went from relative strangers to friends to the hints of something more before he'd fallen asleep with the pendant still in hand.

He ran a hand through his hair before checking the time, pleased when he found he still had time for a quick shower before they would head out.

Today was the day they'd hit Gringotts. The attack on Sirius...well it had served as an incredible motivator.

He ran a hand through his still wet hair, drying it with a murmured spell before placing his shrunken supplies into his pockets. He let out a breath before surveying his room once more. Then on impulse, he crouched beneath his bed and pulled his hidden flask from beneath a loose floorboard.

He took a quick shot and replaced it. He stood and before he could lose his nerve he grabbed his cloak and left his room.

He lingered in the hall as he bit his lip. He had one more thing he needed to do before he left. He turned up the steps quickly and quietly making his way down the hall until he came upon Sirius's room.

He pushed open the door soundlessly and came to a stop at the doorway. He caught sight of his father up; turned so that his legs were dangling off the edge as his gaze was turned to the window.

He stepped further in, clearing his throat and drawing Sirius's attention.

Sirius turned his head and gave him a thin smile before tilting his head to signal him to come closer.

Slowly he sat on the edge of the bed next to him before clasping his hand in his lap.

"I didn't think you'd be up." Draco swallowed.

Sirius hummed in response before he turned his eyes to focus on him.

He resisted the urge to squirm at the intensity in which Sirius was examining him. Instead, he cleared his throat once more before he spoke.

"Do you need anything? A potion or…"

"You're going out today." Sirius interrupted, his face still calm despite the slight edge in his voice at his words.

He wanted to deny it; lie in the way he was so good at, but the knowing look on Sirius's face coupled with the acceptance in his eyes was enough to make him choose not to.

He said nothing, opting to turn his head and watch the bright rays of the sun grow bolder as the day grew more prominent.

"I can recognize plotting you know." Sirius continued, "Even after all these years." He let out a tired breath, "Any other time I'd have forced myself into your plans, but with all this." Sirius lifted his hand and gestured non-specifically around the room. "Well, I suppose I'll have to trust you've prepared for it all."

Draco turned his head to look into Sirius's eyes.

"I'll be back. I'll bring us all back."

Sirius moved forward and clasped his hand tight.

"That's all I care about you know. Even if you don't get what you're after. Even if you fail. I don't care as long as you come back safe."

Draco blinked furiously before tightening his grip around Sirius's hand for a moment. He let go quickly and stood. He forced a lopsided smile onto his face as he released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"You know me. I always find a way back home."

Sirius smiled slightly before waving him off.

"Go. I'm sure they're waiting for you."

* * *

Hermione squeezed her hands around her beaded bag tightly as the three of them waited for Draco to come down.

She'd been on edge all morning from packing and double checking she'd gotten everything. She tucked her hand into her pocket and clutched the two vials of Polyjuice tight in her hand.

She'd bottled them last night with Draco before the healer had arrived for Sirius. After that she hadn't seen a trace of him.

It felt incredibly selfish of her to long for him to stay by her side while so much was going on around them...She couldn't help it though. She'd wanted him with her. Wanted his arms wrapped around her and the safety she felt with his warm body pressed up against hers as they slept.

But he'd needed to tend to Sirius. And they both needed to rest and mentally prepare for this.

Her eyes focused on Griphook who stood flanked by Ron and Harry at his sides. They were all weary of the goblin, and Draco's reiterated warning certainly hadn't helped matters. They'd be watching him closely throughout all this, and she prayed that that paranoia wouldn't cost them later.

She noticed Harry perk up then just as the faintest sound of footsteps could be heard.

Draco paused his descent at the sight of them before quickly schooling his features and coming down the rest of the way to stand at her side.

He turned in a way that he was facing her without the rest being able to see his face as he spoke lowly.

"Are you sure about this?"

She swallowed roughly.

They'd decided early on that Draco would be playing the role of Narcissa. Knowing her as intimately as he did, it had hardly been a shock. But it had left the role of Bellatrix up in the air.

She barely suppressed a shiver at recalling the mad witch's face.

As the only girl, she was obviously a better choice than say Ron, but even more than that...It was too risky for Harry to be polyjuiced. After a certain point their chams would fade and the sight of him alone rapidly decreased their chances of getting to the vault and getting out in one piece.

It was safer for him, safer for all of them, if he remained covered by the invisibility cloak as the rest of them assumed different identities.

She met Draco's gaze growing lost for a moment at the pools of concern in those gray blue storm clouds of his.

She took a breath before nodding.

"Of course." she whispered.

He scanned her face for a second more before nodding himself and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket.

She took out the vials, uncorking them so that he could add the hairs to each before handing him his and then turning to Ron to hand him the vial that would turn him into a nondescript wizard for the next 45 minutes or so.

Draco let out a sigh before raising the vial in a mock toast and downing it all.

She grimaced at the awful taste, feeling as though she might just retch the entire thing back up when she felt her entire body shake. She felt her legs ripple and grow as she hunched over and waited for the magic to still.

She closed her eyes and after a moment she blinked open. She took in Draco as his mother, and Ron had turned into a middle aged brunette man.

Draco's expression, even as Narcissa, was unnerved at the sight of her. She wondered what memories were running around in that head of his. They didn't look to be good.

"Right." Draco said softly in Narcissa's light voice. He handed her a different wand and she went to work transfiguring her clothes as Draco did the same.

Then with Harry beneath the cloak and the three of them around Griphook, they disapparated.

They walked briskly down the cobblestone path to where Gringotts sat in Diagon Alley. Instead of the front entrance, Draco led them to the side.

When the bank had first opened, Draco had said, the property had been constructed with multiple entrances that had gradually been sealed off as security measures improved. How many remained open he couldn't say, but the front door that they are all familiar with was still open as was a side entrance that many of the more wealthy or established patrons used.

Namely the old lifeblood families, whose vaults lay in the oldest part of the bank, practically in the foundation.

She looked around curiously noting the high ceiling and marble stone floor that stretched before them.

It was all quite beautiful, made in hues of brown, cream, and gold. A stark contrast to the top floors she'd visited with her parents on the few occasions they'd come to exchange currency.

They stopped at a large desk with Griphook moving forward to address the goblin on duty.

She stepped closer, forcing a haughty look on her face as she took her place beside Draco.

"I wish to see my vault." Draco said with his chin inclined so that it appeared he was looking down his nose at the pair of goblins.

The other goblin, whose name she hadn't caught in the beginning was eyeing Draco with a calculating gaze.

"I did not realize _Lady_ Malfoy." the goblin began enunciating the title as though it brought him physical pain to utter, "That the Malfoy residence was liberally and personally managing the estate now."

She stepped forward willing herself to appear fearless if not a bit manic with a forced sneer on her face.

"My sister and I have certain business to attend to. Our time and efforts are invaluable." She said coldly letting her meaning ring in the air without having to voice it in so many words.

The goblin looked uncomfortable for a moment before his expression grew blank.

"Your wand for examination Lady Malfoy."

Draco appeared unfazed by this request, suggesting he'd known it was coming. He simply drew his borrowed wand and held it out to the goblin.

The goblin raised his brow before taking it for a moment into his hands and almost immediately shoving it back into Draco's.

He grunted then before indicating they could pass.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she tilted her head up and walked with purpose down the hall with Griphook in the lead and the other goblin not far behind.

It was a strange path they took, down the halls until the marble disappeared and became underground tunnels that resembled a mine with tracks and a cart to boot.

She likened the whole thing to an amusement park ride; high speed, jolting left and right, and traveling up and down the tracks.

She nearly fell over as they rounded the next corner. She straightened, brushing off her robes discretely as she looked around and froze at the sight before her.

She heard Draco take in a sharp breath before he whispered so softly she nearly didn't hear it.

"Fuck."

And she had to agree

The revealing water that they'd been expecting much closer to the vaults seemed to have been extended for increased security. Every precaution, every idea she'd had about it went out the window. She was stunned and unable to comprehend that they'd miscalculated anything.

Before she could even reformulate a new plan, the cart bounded forward and they were all drenched within a second.

She pushed her wet bangs back. Horrified her eyes settled on the goblin who was looking at all of them outraged.

She drew her wand and was about to cast a hastey Confundus when she felt a cool shift in the air as a spell came from a rustling figure behind her.

Harry.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco shiver in response mouthing the spell he'd recognized.

Imperio.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as this mission suddenly became infinitely more grim.

The goblin aided by Harry's spell grew submissive and continued guiding the cart forward for a few more twists and turns before they finally came to a stop.

Draco quickly jumped to his feet pulling her up in the process as they all stumbled out of the cart.

They all followed quickly as Draco and Griphook led them forward passing large doors that were marked with family crests as they went.

She caught Draco sneaking glances when they passed two doors with two different, but very familiar family crests.

How many occasions had he been brought to them? How many times had he entered into the vaults only to be reminded of the heaviness his family names held over his head.

His grip tightened around her hand for a moment as they passed.

Obviously too many times.

She froze as they rounded a corner with an open area. Nearly in the center and chained to the wall slept a large sleek though aged dragon.

She'd been expecting it, even Draco had warned them of it, but the sight of it was enough to make her heart rate skyrocket. Memories of the last time she'd encountered such a beast...the Triwizard Tournament flashed before her, and the desire to be sick intensified.

As though sensing her discomfort, Draco's hand tightened once more around hers.

 _It'll be fine. It's asleep._

Draco's voice rang in her mind, and she relaxed marginally as she straightened herself up and they continued forward.

They finally came to a stop and Draco inclined his chin as he glanced down at Griphook.

"The alarm." he said evenly.

They stared at one another; goblin to human for a moment, and Hermione swore she felt the temperature drop at the icy venom they both held in their eyes. Griphook may be their reluctant ally, but he didn't like them. Should they fail… Well, he had time to get his affairs in order and leave once more if needed.

It made her blood boil in anger at such a callous and cruel nature.

Griphook stepped forward and in a second she felt the air once more shift as the alarm on the vault fell.

Draco dropped her hand. Digging in his pocket, he pulled a beautiful bracelet that glimmered with white diamonds and a yellow center stone she couldn't identify.

Without batting an eyelash, Draco held it out as Griphook greedily reached for it.

A flash of annoyance darted across Draco's face at the goblin's eagerness that quickly fell away as he stepped forward with his wand drawn.

He placed the tip at his palm and murmuring words made a cut. The wound quickly grew crimson as blood began to pool in his hand before he turned his palm to let it fall down to the floor before the vault's door.

Immediately she understood.

Blood wards.

Draco sealed the cut with a flick of his wand before he cast another spell. She watched completely captivated as the blood he'd spilled glowed for a moment as the wards unraveled and the vault door slowly began to open.

Harry stepped out then, tossing the Invisibility Cloak off him and handed it to her, which she promptly stored in her bag.

"Remember." Draco said as the door opened completely. "Don't touch anything, revealing spells before you take a step in any direction, and when you find the cup." His lips pressed into a thin line, "Let me know."

With that they all filed in and their search began.

* * *

Draco shivered as he stepped deeper into Bellatrix's vault.

He could feel the shimmer of other spells thickly covering the pale walls of the room as they stepped forward. Some were harmless enough, concealment spells and the like, but others…

He winced as his left arm flared in pain at the thickness of dark magic that reeked from nearly every corner of the room.

He ignored the dark and gloomy paintings and the glittering shine of gold and various relics he knew were worth more than many would ever make in their entire lifetime.

He wasn't fazed by the ostentatious display of wealth.

He'd grown up occasionally visiting two vaults that easily were twice if not thrice this size, but he knew to the others it was daunting.

Idly, he wondered how much of this wealth would gradually disappear as Voldemort grew more bold and demanded more to finance his crazed campaign for domination?

How much of the Malfoy vault would be contributed as well?

At that he grew slightly ill.

He stopped and cast a revealing spell before he continued forward. He was just about to abandon his corner of the vault when a scream echoed through the vault.

He chilled at the sound.

Hermione.

He darted forward as the contents of the vaults suddenly began to shake and multiply.

Oh gods they were fucked.

He blinked back tears as the cursed copied treasures met his flesh and burned both on impact and with the dark magic his cursed arm seemed to recognize and rebel against.

He pulled himself up as best he could making out Potter and Hermione not far from him to the right and Weasley to his left.

He followed their line of sight, noting the sword in Potter's hand, before he realized just what it was they were looking at.

Hermione turned then noticing him.

"The cup. Just get the cup before we drown in this." He called out.

With a nod, she pulled her wand arm free and in seconds Potter was up in the air hovering towards the cup.

He grit his teeth as he waded closer to her and relaxed only marginally when he felt her body pressed against his.

"Easy." he murmured softly to her after noticing her wand arm trembling slightly.

She let out a breath before wincing as they struggled to once more clamber above the gold that was still multiplying around them.

"We've got to hurry up." He heard Weasley call out, and he had to bite his tongue from a particularly scathing retort that immediately came to mind.

As if it weren't obvious that they were in danger of both being trapped beneath mountains of cursed gold and being discovered breaking into this gods forsaken vault.

He scanned the room before his heart dropped at the sight of Potter grasping the cup with his hands.

Fuck.

The world seemed to slow as Hermione's concentration broke as they sunk down, and Potter in his haste to stop himself from falling dropped both the sword and the cup.

He immediately pushed up casting a levitating spell on himself to catch the cup before he fell with a thud and was nearly immediately pounded down by copies of the cup.

"Draco." he heard Hermione shout. He crawled out, hissing as more and more of his flesh met the cool surface of the cursed metal before he was free enough to stand.

At the sight of him, Hermione seemed to relax and he too let out a sigh of relief at the glint of the sword in her hand. It was a short sensation of peace before they all dashed forward toward the door to the vault.

They were so close. So fucking close.

"Let go of me!"

He whirled around and caught sight of Hermione struggling against Griphook who'd somehow pinned her tight to him.

"The sword." he heard him shout, "Give me the sword."

He was about to cast a spell to free her and simultaneously give the damned goblin a piece of his mind when Hermione shifted the sword and drove the hilt back to shove against the goblin's shoulder and then whirled around to kick him completely off her.

"Damn." He murmured as Hermione darted toward him, shoving the sword into her bag as she moved.

"Muggle self defense." she panted, "Dad made me do it."

"Remind me to thank him one day." he muttered in response as he grabbed her hand and hurried to catch up to Potter and Weasley.

"Thieves! Thieves!" He heard Griphook scream behind them, and soon they were flanked by goblins all armed and ready to defend against the intruders.

They needed an out.

He shot a spell over his shoulder as he began to move on instinct and his mind raced to force together a plan.

The four of them tripped down the hall as the wide opening from before came back into view.

It hit him then and as he glanced to Hermione, he realized she'd figured it out as well.

"This is insane." he said right as Hermione called out their plan to Potter and Weasley.

"The dragon. We need to free the dragon."

At her request, the two immediately began firing spells to break the chains around the beast.

With that taken care of, he turned his gaze upward his eyes catching sight of the opening in the ceiling.

It just wasn't big enough.

Then as though they were in complete sync both he and Hermione raised their wands and began to cast. Over and Over, they shot spell after spell until the opening had grown large enough for even a dragon to fit through.

Smoke and the heat of fire surrounded them, and instinctively he felt himself freeze as the dragon roared.

Fire.

He felt himself being shoved to the side away from the flames, and the action jolted him back from the the teetering edge of his mind that had been paralyzed with fear of both a memory and the present.

"Let's go." He scrambled back up to his feet pulling Hermione as they climbed onto the dragon followed by Potter and Weasley.

"Fuck." He heard her mutter as the dragon stretched his wings and in seconds they were up and in the air.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: A lot of action in this chapter! Also to the reviewer that talked about Draco and his identification as "Malfoy", I think that Draco's very conflicted on his identity. He's grown up one way with the weight of a persona on his shoulders that separating that from himself was the way he knew how to cope. He's still biologically a Malfoy, but that person he was while he went by that name isn't really who he is as a whole. I hope that makes sense.

As always Reveiw! Review! Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

They flew for miles. Cities turned into small towns, to trees, and eventually a lake that they all jumped into.

Hermione sighed rubbing her temples as she stared up at the roof of the tent they'd set up the other day.

They'd all had severe burns that needed to be tended to and frankly by the time they'd dried themselves off and healed their injuries, Draco had insisted they stay put. There was no way they wouldn't be followed. The goblins and later Death Eaters would track the Dragon's course and eventually this particular forest that they were in would be discovered.

There was little doubt in all their minds that apparition was being monitored, and they couldn't risk leading the enemy to the front steps of Grimmauld Place.

Another day or two and they'd apparate back or to wherever their next move was.

 _Hogwarts._

It was an unspoken understanding between them. The idea brought dread to settle in the pit of her gut. The protection around the old castle would be nearly impossible to bypass, and she was worried there was no way they could even attempt it.

She sighed once more. She should be asleep and taking advantage of the fact that it wasn't her turn to stand watch yet. Sleep; however, was evading her. It had become a habit really. The silence of the night would come and suddenly her thoughts and worries were amplified tenfold.

She sat up and glanced around, leaning her head to the side to catch any trace of sound.

She made out Ron's snoring and muttering that could only be attributed to Harry.

She kicked off the covers and pulled a throw blanket over her shoulders as she slipped into her boots and stepped out of her little room.

It was a rather large tent she mused, but that was Narcissa's doing. She probably wasn't familiar with the term subtle or small.

She was quick to cast a warming charm as she soundlessly ducked through the thin flap of the tent and came to stand in the cool air outside.

She pulled her blanket tight around her as she let her eyes roam until they settled on the figure she was searching for.

Draco was perched on a log not far from the north side of the tent. He had one leg propped up that he was resting his chin on with one arm wrapped around the top of his knee. He turned slightly at the sound of her footsteps and relaxed only when he realized that it was only her.

Her breath caught at the motion. The tilt of his head had caught the gleam of moonlight making his hair shine brightly.

He looked perfectly ethereal with a beauty that hardly seemed human.

He shifted once more breaking the spell, and somehow she could breathe once more.

She stepped closer, coming to sit on the log and taking in his relatively tense posture and the inhaler he was tapping soundlessly against his thigh. She spread the blanket to cover them both before she leaned into him, relishing the feel of his firm chest and the weight of his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer into him.

He was cold though, and she wondered when he'd grown numb to it and simply forgone re-doing the charm.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked lightly, shifting slightly to stow his inhaler back in his pocket.

She shook her head before letting out a puff of air that condensed as soon as she'd breathed it out.

"We should try to leave today. Apparate somewhere else and see if it turns out ok." He continued, and she noted how his voice seemed almost hoarse the more he spoke.

"Hopefully. I think we're all getting anxious staying here out in the open." she murmured before turning to look up at him.

He let out a tired sigh, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he hummed in agreement.

Silence fell between them once more before she cleared her throat after a minute.

"You ok?"

He shrugged his free shoulder.

"As good as I possibly can be." He cleared his throat roughly. "This." He gestured around them, "Along with this situation we're in, it's doing none of us any favors."

She nodded.

"Griphook betrayed us." she murmured before blinking and looking up to meet his gaze. "I knew it was a possibility, but I just can't seem to get it out of my mind."

Draco shook his head. "It wasn't a possibility Hermione, it was a certainty." He shifted, letting his free hand comb through his hair. "He'll get some punishment for that." he smirked slightly though there was no hint of humor in his voice, "Unless of course he managed to slip away again."

She shivered not liking the turn of the conversation. Somehow that didn't deter her curiosity.

"What would they do to him?"

Draco met her eyes for a second before he shuddered and dropped his head to stare intently at the ground.

"Whatever they wanted."

She bit her lip, looking quickly away from him, focusing on a group of three bushes to their right. She kept her head turned toward the sight, knowing if she looked at him then she wouldn't have the courage to ask her next question.

"Draco." she murmured, "Can I...Can I ask what it was like?"

She heard his breath catch for a moment and her resolve nearly broke. She may want to know, but that didn't mean he wanted to share.

She should take it back. Have him forget she'd even posed the question, or-

"It's hard to describe it. Nothing else is like it." he said softly. "In the beginning its this rush of action, you're merely being pulled along by this force that draws you in and frightens you at the same time. The power, the power is intoxicating."

Her eyes drifted to him, and she caught him lick his lips before he took a breath and continued.

"And the price is constantly dangling over your head, but it isn't until something horrific...something unspeakable happens that you even realize how wrong it all is. And no one says anything. Not a fucking word."

His grip tightened around her as her shut his eyes tight. He was breathing fast, and she could feel the drum of his heart from where her head was leaning against his chest.

"Then it becomes you in the middle of a mad house where half the people are so broken, so damaged, that bloodlust calls to them like a mistress and the other half...the other half is just too damned terrified to say a word because what can you say that won't just get you and yours killed?"

She tightened her hold against him as he took another deep breath to calm himself.

"And it gets to the point where that's all you can think about. It's what you're thinking when you try to fall asleep and the first thing you think when you wake up. It makes your hands shake and your judgement blur...and you're just trying to survive it." His voice dropped to a whisper that even sitting next to him she could scarcely hear.

"Doing all that, you realize one day while you're in front of a mirror getting ready for another torturous day that...that you don't know who you've become."

He shuddered glancing to the side and seemingly growing lost in his thoughts.

"Why not just leave?" she whispered, "If it's so bad why not just go?"

He looked at her then. "You know what it means to be his enemy, can you imagine what it would mean to have betrayed him? That is personal. You have no idea...It's not black and white. That gray, there's nothing more terrifying than the gray in between." he breathed, "He'd hunt you with such fervor, with the promise of such fury, that ending it yourself would be a mercy."

She gasped and in an instant she'd shifted to hold him securely between her arms. It was a frightening idea that should his existence be discovered, should his identity be discovered, that everything he was saying would suddenly apply to him.

They had all understood war and it's unforgiving nature, but she'd never paused to consider that maybe there were people on the other side as trapped as they were. In as much danger as they were.

She'd barely even realized the risk he'd put on himself, the risk that even Snape had taken upon himself, until now.

Sirius's fear every time he'd rebelled and gone out made a thousand times more sense now.

"Hey." Draco mumbled against her neck. "No risk, no reward, right?"

She snorted, shaking her head in exasperation as she somehow found her way back to the log and huddled against him.

He smiled weakly, his eyes closing as he let a tired breath out.

His hand was rubbing her shoulder comfortingly, up and down the length to her arm and back. She relaxed unconsciously into his touch.

"Tomorrow must be New Year's Eve." he said softly after a moment.

She hummed in agreement watching as he lent his head against hers.

"Do you want to take a break? I'm not going to bed anytime soon." She whispered, "You can sleep for a bit."

He shrugged his free arm.

"It won't be long now. Potter's supposed to take over soon."

"Then get a head start." she said with a thin smile and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll wake you."

He sighed before nodding and slumping against her in defeat.

She laughed lightly, letting her fingers comb through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Sleep Draco." she murmured.

He murmured something unintelligible in response, and in minutes she heard his breathing even and he was out.

It was about another hour before Harry came to relieve them, and she was granted the sight of a half asleep Draco. Her lips twisted upward in amusement as she led him still half in dreams in front of her, taking care so he wouldn't trip on anything as they walked.

They managed to get to her small bedroom without incidence and in seconds, wrapped in his arms with the steady rhythm of his breath, she joined him in dreams.

* * *

Draco sighed as he walked the border of their wards once more. He'd woken obscenely early for someone who'd only just gone to bed. He couldn't help it though.

His mind seemed to be continuously on lately, and though it might lag enough to allow him some rest, the rest of the time it was a steady turning of cogs as his thoughts ran together.

He wanted to get out of here.

He hated being exposed, but he didn't want to lead anyone straight to Grimmauld.

They couldn't handle an assault on the base. Not with Sirius still recovering. The Death Eaters would show no mercy, taking them all by surprise. The Order would be overwhelmed in minutes.

But they still needed to leave, head back to safety, head back to an area that was contained enough that they'd dare to destroy the horcrux in their possession.

He shuddered at that.

His eyes drifted once more along the perimeter.

They just had to make sure there wasn't anyone out lurking and waiting for them. That they could safely apparate without being followed.

He ran a hand through his hair before he grew determined and crouched down on the ground.

He'd left a note. They'd be fine, and Hermione would keep them level headed until he came back.

He closed his eyes. In a single breath he shifted and on all fours left the protective barrier of their camp.

* * *

"He's such a goddamn git."

Hermione winced at Ron's outburst. He'd been in a mood ever since they'd all woken and found Draco's note.

She hadn't had time to simply be worried about him though. Not when it was this losing battle of constant appeasement to Ron and his temper.

He'd been so horrid lately. His insecurities in full force along with his complaints at them being cooped up, their dwindling food supply, worry over his family.

That had angered her because it wasn't like he was the only one who had people they could lose.

It was selfish of him, but empathy had never been one of Ron's strong suits to begin with.

Yet, with how bad it was, she wondered if maybe their resident Horcrux had something to do with it.

The magic was thick around the cup, and she avoided it at all costs. Her thoughts would turn dark and bleak, and it took all of her to simply resist and focus on hope.

She noticed Harry was much the same, and Draco, well he simply didn't get near it.

She didn't know if that was because he knew what to expect or if the dark magic surrounding it interacted with the curse wound on his arm.

It was probably both.

"Just calm down mate." Harry said tiredly, "This is Draco. He wouldn't risk anything unless he had a way to get around without drawing attention to himself."

There was frustration at the edge of his voice though, a warning really. Harry may not have the same temper as Ron, but if it was sparked they could easily come to blows.

"And what about us? Are we useless? Why are we following him blindly?" Ron said, his fists clenched at his sides, "We should just go. My family-"

"You think you're the only one worried?" Harry's voice climbed higher, "We're all afraid Ron, but we have to be careful."

"Just stop." She suddenly called out moving to stand between them, "We're getting nowhere just yelling at each other."

Ron opened his mouth to say more when there was a pull at their wards. They froze, and she quickly whirled around to the part of the wards that had alerted them to a presence.

She expected to find a person, instead though, there was only a lone wolf at the edges regarding them carefully.

"What on earth?" She heard Harry mutter from behind her.

She furrowed her brows regarding the creature.

It's coat was quite beautiful, a gray white that gleamed under the sunlight. Something about it didn't feel right though. It was looking at them so intently, like it could see through the wards; something a normal wolf should not be able to do.

Then right as she went to step forward, the beast shifted and in its place was Draco crouched on all fours. He moved swiftly to stand on two feet and strode passed the perimeter toward them.

She gaped.

An animagus.

Draco was an animagus.

"Like father like son." she muttered.

She didn't hear anyone comment to that.

As he neared, she stepped unconsciously forward to meet him just as he came join their small circle. His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded the tension in all their faces.

"What's going on?" He asked, his voice far more timid than she would have expected for him. He seemed to want to keep the peace no matter how much of a farce it seemed to be lately.

She was about to reply and tell him it was nothing when it seemed Ron's anger returned with a vengeance.

"We were arguing over you ferret face." Ron said stepping forward and jabbing his finger into Draco's chest. "Where do you get off making decisions and skiving off to god's knows where?"

Draco raised a brow and shoved Ron's arm away.

"I went to look around. See if anyone had shown up."

"And who told you too? Or do you think you're in charge?"

She noticed Draco's body tense, and his hands slowly form fists at his side.

"Just drop it Ron." She said coming forward and grasping one of Draco's arms. She met Harry's gaze over Ron's shoulder and silently begged him to follow her lead.

This would turn into a disaster if they didn't stop it now.

"Draco was just doing what any one of us would do, if we could." She shot Draco a look then that promised hell for both running off and conveniently not mentioning he was an animagus. .

But that could wait until later when they were alone and a fight with Ron was just a distant memory.

She pushed him slightly behind her as she turned back to face Ron.

"Calm down Ron. This isn't you. You don't actually care about what Draco does or doesn't do. It's that horrid horcrux making us all turn on each -"

"Stop it. Just stop defending him." Ron yelled out in frustration as he stormed off to the tent and returned not a moment later with the sword in one hand and the cup in the other.

"If this is the reason than fine. Let's get rid of it, and maybe you'll see that we've given him too much leeway. Fuck. How much do we still not know about Draco, or Black, or whoever the fuck you are." Ron shouted tossing the cup on the ground and raising the sword.

"Just stop it Ron." Harry finally said looking far more angry than she'd seen in in a long time.

"Put it down and let's all go in and talk."

"Fuck not you too Harry. Don't tell me you're on their side."

"There is no side Ron." Harry said shoving himself at Ron. "There's just us and fucking Voldemort."

Oh fuck.

She felt the pull of the wards and the temperature literally plummet in the breath after Harry's outburst.

"A taboo." Draco hissed as he dove forward and scooped the cup into his hand, charming it to shrink before disillusioning it and stuffing it in his pocket.

At his action, she jolted. She summoned her bag to her side and took the sword from Ron and shoved it inside just as the first crack of an apparition rang out.

Immediately, a flash of red was shot at them, and they took off running. The turned sharply to the corner and at the slight break she shot a spell at Harry swelling his face.

Shit. Shit.

She shivered as the feeling of a new magic settling around them. It had to be a new ward.

"Anti-apparition. We're stuck.." She heard Draco whisper from beside her.

It all happened so fast after that. They were easily cornered and before she could blink they'd been bounded and the dark face of a Snatcher was pulling her by the hair to meet her gaze.

"Oi this one looks like that chit in the paper. The Mudblood. And look a red head and this ugly oaf...You don't think?"

She heard one of the boys shout against their bonds at that, and she wished with all she had that whoever it was would shut up and not draw attention to them.

"Let's take them in. They'll know what to do with the lot, and if not." A different face was suddenly before her.

Greyback.

She couldn't resist the shiver that went through her as he leant forward and seemed to breathe in her scent.

"Well we'll get our fun." He finished smiling to show all his sharp and rotting teeth. His smile widened at her revulsion before he turned and barked out orders to the others.

"To Malfoy Manor then."

Fuck.

* * *

Draco shivered as they landed with a lurch on the outskirts of Malfoy Manor on an old dirt path. Almost immediately, he felt the pull of the wards in recognition, and he knew without a doubt that Narcissa and Lucius would have felt it too.

Fuck.

The idiot had gotten them all captured and sent to the center of the enemy camp.

They were shoved forward, and Draco kept his head firmly down. There was an endless amount of people here who would able to place him even without his usual glamour on. The consequence of that would not be good.

He let his eyes roam around them taking in the worn path and the darkened atmosphere that had even Narcissa's garden wilting. He tried to gage the level of activity around the house, pushing his magic out to mingle with the wards.

He nearly let out a sigh in relief when very little magic was detected. Not much activity meant not many were here...that _he_ probably wasn't here.

They'd reached the cobblestone path as the neared the looming gates and eventually the tall dark wooden door he was intimately familiar with.

He dipped his head even lower as they crossed and entered his childhood home.

The snatchers were arguing amongst themselves over what to do when thundering footsteps echoed off the marble floors.

"What on earth is the meaning of this Greyback?"

He stiffened at the voice.

He was in no way prepared to hear it, and he silently chided himself at that slight bit of weakness.

He was here, back in this house, he should have known better than to be surprised at the voice of the man of the manor.

He felt Lucius ease into the front hall coming to a stop mere feet from where they'd all been forced down to their knees.

"We've brought some ."

"I can see that." Lucius replied coldly, "Why are they here?"

It was at that moment that two others joined their disaster of a circle.

"What is going on here?"

His heart pounded at recognizing that voice.

Bellatrix.

His heart rate quickened, and he could feel his lungs tighten in response. He shut his eyes tight hoping the action would block the onslaught of memories that were running mercilessly through his mind.

He would not panic. He would not panic now.

The voices above them continued to argue and debate. Lucius was furious at the intrusion and, if he had to guess, slightly distracted in his arguments.

He had to have felt the tug of the wards. Was he just too distracted at the thought of his unexpected return to focus on what was going on in front of him? The man had obviously not recognized him yet.

He risked a peak, turning his head to the side and he was immediately met with his mother's sharp gaze. She paled as she seemed to recognize him and in seconds he felt the gentle brush of her mind against his.

 _Don't expose us._

She straightened in response and he could feel the faintest bit of her exasperation at him though the link before she broke it to move closer to Lucius.

She was probably already plotting a way out for them.

"But the girl looks like the Mudblood, surely that means…"

"Potter!" Bellatrix shrieked in delight as she glanced hungrily at them all, "But we must be sure. Something's been done to his face."

She turned to look back at her sister. "Cissy. You've seen the Mudblood and the boy before, is it them?"

The blood roared in his ears as he jerked his head slightly to look at Narcissa. In doing so though, he found himself the subject of someone else's attention.

His eyes locked with Lucius and he was sure that if his heart rate won't slow then that he'd have a heart attack on the same rug he'd been scolded for getting dirty when he was 6.

He caught the immediate recognition in Lucius's eyes, though the rest of his posture betrayed nothing.

Fuck. Fuck.

Lucius turned away abruptly to look at Bellatrix.

"Nott's boy is back for the holiday. He surely had classes with them. We can send for him and keep them in the dungeons until he arrives." Lucius said in a smooth and soothing voice.

He felt his heart rate settle. Lucius was giving them an opportunity to escape. The dungeons wouldn't hold him. Lucius knew that. He was going to let them go.

"But that's no fun." Bellatrix pouted before grinning wickedly and turning back to them.

"We could get something out of them while we wait." She cackled stalking before them, and for the briefest of moments he felt her gaze settle on the top of his head as her dark robes came to a stop before him.

He held his breath only releasing it when the swish of her robes trailed away from him.

"Let's start with this one. He said he was a Weasley didn't he?"

"A cousin or something." One of the snatchers replied.

"They're all the same." Bellatrix declared before moving to grab Weasley, knocking Hermione to the side in the process.

He heard her his slightly just before a clang sounded as she fell atop her bag.

He shut his eyes, swallowing the building dread in his stomach. This was not good.

"What was that?" Bellatrix moved to Hermione and tore the bag from her frame catching sight of the gleam of a hilt peeking out of the top. She froze, blinking in disbelief as she took it in.

"No."

She stalked forward, grabbing Hermione by the hair. "Where did you get this? You've been into my vault haven't you!"

He inched forward. He couldn't help it. He knew what was coming next, and he didn't want that for Hermione.

"Bellatrix." He heard Lucius say overhead. His tone was one of warning, but the crazed witch either didn't hear it or ignored it completely.

"You've been to my vault! What did you take? What else did you take?" She screeched shoving Hermione to the ground and kicking her firmly in the ribs. He winced, straightening as he overheard Weasley and Potter yelling in indignation at his side.

"What did you take?" She kicked Hermione again. When she said nothing, Bellatrix drew her wand and rapidly cast a curse.

"Crucio."

Was Lucius not going to interfere?

"Crucio."

Was he not going to -

"Cru-"

"It's mine." He yelled out lifting his head and jutting his chin up. He made out someone gasp as all eyes settled on him. "It's mine." he said as evenly as he could while meeting Bellatrix's mad gaze. He hoped to Merlin and above that he wasn't shaking as much as he felt he was.

Bellatrix let Hermione go, and she dropped like a rag doll to the ground.

"Yours?" She said in a voice barely audible.

He nodded once, pasting a blank mask over his features.

"I hid it in her bag when we were discovered. She didn't know."

The curse was so fast he'd barely been able to suppress the groan from falling from his lips as he lost his balance and began to shake on the ground.

"Where did you get it?" She pulled him by the roots of his hair so that his face was lifted to meet hers, "Where did you…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes roamed his face. The shock was clear, and through the shock he saw her recognition.

"Throw them into the dungeons." She called out.

"Bellatrix. This is my house. I will not have you -"

Bellatrix dropped him suddenly as she whirled in place to face her brother in law.

"Careful Lucius." Bellatrix snarled with her wand held out in front of her in warning, "You are in enough trouble with the Dark Lord as it is."

They stared at each other for a moment before Lucius scowled and spun on his heel. "I will get the Nott boy."

Bellatrix looked smug for a moment before she shouted for them to move the rest into the dungeons. "And the girl." She called out, "Don't ruin her yet. I have plans for her later!"

Before he could blink, she'd pulled him once more by the hair and dragged him down the hall before shoving him into a room and warding the door.

"You." She shouted in anger before shooting a spell at him that lifted him from the ground and bound him on a nearby table. "You filthy traitor. What have you been doing in my vault?"

"I wasn't" he said in as steady a voice as he could manage. He could barely form the words from the chattering of his teeth and jerk of his limbs. That first curse had been brutal.

The Cruciatus was his aunt's specialty, he'd known that, but it seemed in the time he'd been away she'd managed to hone her technique into something new and incredibly more potent.

He didn't recall it being this horrible before...or had it just been so long his body had forgotten.

She hit him with another spell and he ground his teeth as blood began to pool in his mouth.

He lifted his head and turned to spit at his side.

"I wasn't in your vault."

She screamed in frustration before casting another cruciatus.

"You're lying. I know you are! You coward. You were dead, and now you've betrayed us."

She was quick with another curse before her demeanor seemed to change. He felt her mind shove against his, clawing to get through.

He pushed back with a vengeance, and she growled in frustration.

Her wand was at his neck digging into his skin as she glared into his eyes.

Unable to resist, he shoved his own mind forward against her shields then. He was blinded by his anger and his pain that the implications of such an act were lost on him.

He was acting like a bloody Gryffindor.

Bellatrix shrieked as she fought back shoving her wand so that it broke his skin as she dragged it from his neck to his left shoulder.

"I'll teach you to get in my head, and these eyes." She lifted her wand to his right brow digging it in enough to draw blood, "These beautiful eyes of yours...I'll tear them out _Draco._ "

He kept his eyes on hers willing himself not flinch. Bellatrix would feed on his fear. He wouldn't allow her the luxury."

"Now to get you to speak." She moved off him then, her voice taking a sing song tone as she stalked in a circle around him. She lazily cast another cruciatus and watched him shake in response.

"No not this one." She said lightly before getting up and straddling him. "Not that one for sure." She bent forward her nose moving against the sensitive skin behind his ear as she took a full breath of him in.

"That one didn't do anything to you before, did it?" She hummed as she pulled away.

He shook, unable to control it. The lingering effects of the curse were beginning to blur his vision, darkening it with spots as he struggled to remain defiant and focused.

"I have a new toy Draco. One I can't wait to show you." She whispered as her hand went to a pocket of her robes to reveal a gleaming dagger, "I promise you'll like it."

He blinked in confusion before in a single motion Bellatrix brought the blade down right into his chest.

* * *

 _It's mine._

 _It's mine._

 _It's mine._

Hermione blinked in confusion as she registered the cool feel of stone against her cheek. Was she going mad? Had Draco really done that?

She shot up, groaning at the taste of bile that immediately filled her throat at the motion.

She could see it all then, playing out in front of her like some horrible movie. Draco with his head tipped so that his chin rose in the air, eyes cold and yet still alight in the defiance he held. He'd looked every inch the prince he'd been raised.

How easily he'd slipped back into the role. How for all his belief in his weakness, his wickedness, his darkness...he was still brave.

 _It's mine._

She gasped at the shots of pain that went through her fingers down to her feet as she shook in someone else's firm grasp.

So this was a Cruciatus.

"Easy Mione."

She relaxed recognizing Ron's voice as his grip around her tightened.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Mione." He said.

"Is she coming out of it?" She heard Harry say from somewhere above her.

"Yeah I think so."

She groaned, blinking as her vision settled on the two faces hovering above her.

"Where are we?" She said as Ron scrambled to help her sit up.

"Malfoy Manor's dungeons apparently." Harry said, and she noted with dismay that her stinging hex had faded.

"Oh gods Draco." She whispered moving to stand before she immediately fell back down. Her limbs trembled and she drew them close to her. They were down here trapped while Draco was no doubt getting punished for jumping to her defense. Would he be recognized?

The thought made her whimper.

They'd torture to destroy him if they realized who he was.

"We'll get out Hermione. We just need a plan." Harry said as another whimper fell out of her mouth. He hugged her carefully, pushing her hair from her face. He opened his mouth to offer her more words of comfort before quickly going silent as the creek of a door somewhere above them opened and shut.

She lifted herself up slightly, straining to hear the softest sound of approaching footsteps.

"She's warded the door Lucius. She knows it's him."

"Calm yourself Narcissa. We can't afford to recognize him. We need to…"

The voices faded and she looked up with eyes wide darting between Ron and Harry.

Ron looked stricken and Harry...he looked intrigued.

She was just pondering that when the cell door opened with a loud screech. She lifted her head and turned before blinking in disbelief at the sight. She was surely delusional. Maybe Bellatrix had hit her with one too many crucios and she was now hallucinating. She could think of no other explanation for why Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy would be standing right outside of their cell.

She rubbed her eyes and still there they were.

Narcissa and Lucius both watching the three of them with calm masks. She instantly recognized the look. She'd seen it on Draco more times than she cared to remember.

"Tilly." Narcissa called softly as she stepped into the cell arms out in front of her to indicate she was unarmed. She knelt down beside Hermione as the pop signaling a house elf's apparition sounded.

"Yes Mistress." A small elf said coming up to stand close to Narcissa before peering down at her curiously.

It was the strangest thing, but Hermione was sure the elf was wearing purple clothes.

Perhaps she was still delirious.

"Have a look at Miss Granger." Narcissa said as she met her eyes, "She needs to be well enough to flee here."

"Now what is going on?" Ron said pulling her toward him as he glared at the Malfoys and little elf. "You better not be trying to hurt her more."

Narcissa glanced at Ron with a cool expression before she rose gracefully back to her feet.

"I do believe we're trying to help you Mr. Weasley."

They all turned to Lucius who held three wands out toward them.

The sight made her flinch, and Ron's grip seemed to tighten around her then.

Without a word, Harry stepped forward stopping only a foot before Lucius. It was a strange sight. The last time the two had stood face to face, Harry had been so young and had come up to stand barely at Lucius's chest.

They'd all grown so much, and not just in the that meant Harry now stood chin to chin with Lucius.

It was now in the very edge of his voice as he spoke.

"Why?" he uttered so low she nearly didn't here it.

"He's my son." Lucius returned in much the same manner, and she could tell that for him that was all the explanation that was needed.

Harry studied him for a moment before nodding and snatching the wands from Lucius's hand.

He turned to look between Lucius and Narcissa.

"So what is the plan?"

* * *

Draco couldn't help it then. He screamed as Bellatrix brought the knife down once more. She'd since moved on from his chest to his thighs and the tops of his shoulders.

There was so much blood.

It was staining the table, soaking through his clothes, and coloring the ends of Bellatrix's robes as she leaned over him with eyes alight in amusement.

It felt so horrifically familiar that for a moment he was truly unsure if this was a memory, a nightmare, or reality.

Had he already lost it?

"So pure. So pure with such promise." She croned as a wordless spell came from her wand and shook him again. She sat up, sticking her wand to twist around her hair as she took her knife and let a finger trace the sticky crimson still clinging to the blade.

"So pure." She whispered, "You were almost one of us."

He clenched his teeth, unable to do much more than that. His throat had become raw a long while ago.

His chest heaved as he struggled to draw in another breath through his tight airways, and Bellatrix laughed at his struggle.

"Let me remind you." She said. "Let me remind you of who you were meant to be."

She pushed his left arm flat and tore at his sleeve. She brought her dagger and traced the edge of the horrid dark cut on his arm muttering nonsense as she stared at it in reverence.

"Look, it's already half there." She murmured before she turned the blade sharply cutting into his flesh.

He sobbed at the onslaught of pain that momentarily blinded him. Gasping, his body jerked to move but was unable to from under Bellatrix's weight and the spell she'd used to bind him before.

"And here the snake curves like this." She said softly making another cut.

He bit his tongue hard and the taste of rust filled his mouth.

Oh gods.

He blinked, his vision cloudy and dark as he struggled to remain conscious.

This is how it ends.

This was how he was going to die.

Not to that snake bastard, but to a mad witch that shared his blood.

 _Well it had started with family, it was almost poetic that it would end with it._

"Tell me what you did Draco." She said, her breath hot on his cheek as he coughed blood at the change in pressure on his chest. "Tell me what you did and I will be merciful."

He couldn't have answered even if he wanted. His mouth was to bloody and his consciousness too faint to allow him more than withdrawn comprehension of what was going on around him.

He could feel himself going numb already.

He shut his eyes as the blade once more dug into his arm.

Was that shouting?

It was probably just him.

"Don't they know I'm not to be disturbed." Bellatrix shrieked then as she easily slipped off him just as the door exploded.

He blinked unsure if the sudden haze clouding his vision was from his mind shutting down or from something that was going on around him.

He felt so tired right then.

"What on earth have you done to him?"

He blinked, the urge to remain awake so strong.

That voice. Gods that voice.

"Tilly get to Draco."

Tilly?

His mother's elf?

What on earth was going on?

He tried to sit up, coughing as his head spun at the movement.

It was too much. Incredibly too much.

He fell back as something warm came to curl their hand at his side.

He wanted to tell them to leave him. It was enough. He'd had enough.

"Oh gods mate. What the fuck did she do to you?"

"Hurry up we've got to go!" Someone else said, and suddenly he felt the pull of magic as his body jerked and the world around him went black.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: It's been a while, but here's a nice long update to make up for it. A lot of emotion in this one before the plot picks up again. As always, Reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

 _Tell me what you did Draco. Tell me what you did and I will be merciful._

Draco gasped, his body lurching as he arched forward panting. He could still feel it, steel cutting

deep

deep

deep.

She was right there. Right there and waiting for him in the darkness.

He hunched over even further curling into himself, ignoring the stabs of pain at the movement as he struggled to catch his breath.

Right there.

Right there.

Right there.

"Draco." He stilled, shivering as a hand came to rest at his shoulder. "You're safe. Draco you're safe."

He closed his eyes. He was safe. Safe. Yes. He had to be. He was on a bed, comfortable. His clothes didn't feel wet from his own blood. He took another breath.

And he recognized that voice.

He straightened, wincing at the motion as he lifted his head to meet the dark gaze of his godfather.

"Oh Merlin." He whispered, moving his hands to rub his eyes before letting them run shakily through his hair.

Snape said nothing, leaving him time to settle himself. Reorient himself really.

He groaned as he eased himself back against the numerous pillows behind him as he took in the room. He didn't recognize it, but it looked nice enough. His eyes darted around quickly as he spotted a window, letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

He lost himself in the view outside of it.

It was night out, deep into it if he had to guess, and the stars were bright against a sky that held no trace of the moon in it.

That was when he felt his heart rate truly steady. There, right through the glass, was the world around him.

He wasn't alone.

He felt his body relax against the pillows as he cleared his throat to speak. A mistake apparently as it sent him into a coughing fit that had his sides screaming in protest.

Snape rushed over to him summoning a glass of water as he did. He tried to steady his hands as he reached out to take it from him, but one raised brow from Snape, and he reluctantly let him place the glass to his lips and eagerly took sips of the water.

He pulled away after a few gulps and tried once more to speak.

"Where are we?" he winced at the hoarseness, happy that he'd at least managed to say the words.

Snape let out a breath before placing the glass at the small bedside table near his right.

"Bill Weasley's home. Apparently his brother directed Tilly here. The Delacour girl had taken some healer courses before."

He nodded. His mind already working to put pieces together. This he understood. Survival and planning were his default. He could work with that.

They'd gotten out then. No doubt his mother had let Tilly move to help the trio out of the dungeon and then up to the room to get…

No.

He shook his head letting out a shaky breath.

"Hermione?" He whispered, swallowing roughly as he tried to pull his mind away from the dark edge it had been so close to falling over.

Snape looked at him, clearly concerned, before he sighed and dropped into a seat near the head of the bed.

"Shaken, two broken ribs, and mild internal bleeding that she's already been treated for." Snape said, "She's across the hall. Demanded to stay at your side despite the pain of her own injuries. She fell asleep two hours ago, and Lupin carried her out."

He nodded to himself, grateful at least that she seemed ok.

"And Sirius?"

"Has been alternating between being absolutely furious and incredibly anxious, rightfully so." Snape shot him a pointed look.

He straightened in response, unwilling to show guilt or discomfort at the hard gaze.

"He actually just stepped out to bring up a nightcap for us both."

"You're drinking with Sirius now?" he said as the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Snape looked at him balefully, "Yes we do seem to be bonding lately. We now have something in common."

He winced at that, dropping his head to look at his palms. It was then he noticed the thick bandages around both his arms. Though, only his left side was bandaged all the way down to his wrist.

He let his hand ghost down settling right atop his forearm.

"My parents?" he whispered.

"Denied you were there. You're anonymity is safe for now." Snape continued evenly,

"But Bellatrix…"

"Is in enough trouble. The Dark Lord found out that her vault had been recently broken into."

"It'll take at least a day to wade through the spells before they figure out its gone." He murmured to himself.

Snape grunted in agreement.

"We'll have to move to Hogwarts tomorrow then."

"You will not be doing anything." Snape cut in. He opened his mouth to protest, but he simply waved him off as he continued. "No Draco. I have stood by you, protected you, let you forge forward on your own, and I would do the same now if I thought that any of what you were suggesting held a bit of sense."

He leaned forward.

"And at this moment, I can tell you I don't care. There are spells, potions, to heal a body. You know there are-"

"And there is a price Draco. A price to be paid to use such risky measures." Snape stood, anger flashing on his face, though it was quickly gone as he stepped to pace the room.

Draco bit his tongue, unsure if he should speak or if any more words would result in an argument neither one would be able to take back.

Snape turned then, and Draco had his breath knocked out of him at the sight of his godfather's face.

"That's twice now I've had to see you in such a state." Snape said softly, "After I'd told myself I'd never allow such a thing to happen again."

Draco swallowed roughly, dropping his gaze to the floor unable to watch as such foreign emotions drifted across the other's face.

"You are the closest I will ever have to a child of my own." Snape continued, "And I have cared for you as such from the moment I first saw you. Draco." Snape paused for a moment, and Draco swore that a shaky breath left his lips before he continued. "Vengeance has never worked well for anyone. Especially not for anyone who war left in the state you are now."

"I…" Draco cleared his throat as he lifted his chin up to meet Snape's gaze, "I will see this through. I have too." Something flashed in Snape's eyes at that, but he didn't wait to recognize it. "And I know the risks. I always have, but." He licked his lips, "There are other things I want to make sure happen, and if they reek of revenge so be it. I will see that bitch dead."

"They were too lenient the first time sending her to Azkaban. The kiss, even the killing curse, is too kind for her. I can honestly tell you that at this moment I could throw her in a room and leave her to be burned alive without blinking an eye."

He fisted his hands. "And not for me, but for everything she's done to my mother, what she wanted to do to Hermione and Sirius and to so many other people."

Snape said nothing to that, and the silence quickly grew thick between them.

He kept his gaze steady. He would not give in, and it seemed Snape knew it too.

"I can stall for an extra day. It gives you one to rest and another to go."

"Thank you." he breathed.

Snape looked at him for a moment before he dipped his chin in a nod. He seemed to contemplate something before he stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Plan well Draco." His grip tightened.

He nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak. Frankly, he wouldn't have known what to say. Not to something like that, which meant so much more than the warning the words themselves stood for.

Had he even had a reply, he wouldn't have been able to voice it, because at that moment the door to his room opened and the lone figure froze in the doorway at the sight of him.

"Draco." Sirius whispered.

At that Snape murmured that he would be off to check on one thing or another, and soon he was left alone with his father still too stunned to say much of anything.

After a moment, Sirius shook his head before stepping forward and practically fell into the seat that Snape had vacated seconds before. He shakily set the bottle in his hands to the side before reaching out and combing through the hair that was clinging to his forehead.

"Merlin and Above." Sirius said softly.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek before pulling away slightly.

"I'm not going to apologize for what we did." Draco murmured, "But I am sorry I worried you."

Sirius blinked before an incredulous expression settled on his face.

"I don't fucking care about that Draco. I thought you were going to… Oh fuck. It doesn't matter. Alright." Sirius said leaning forward and squeezing one of his arms. Sirius flashed him a weak smile, "Besides I've done things that ended just as terribly and with half as much planning."

Draco forced a smile to his lips at that.

At least they wouldn't be having an argument tonight. He didn't think he'd have the energy for it. Already, he could feel his eyelids growing heavy.

"And Harry already told me." Sirius continued, "He took all the blame for breaking taboo, and even Ron said that it was mostly because of him that you were all taken prisoner."

"I never thought I'd see the day that those two would take responsibility for anything that was actually their fault." Draco laughed lightly before stopping to clutch at his ribs. The action had hurt more than he'd expected it too.

Sirius tried to look disapproving at his acerbic humor, but his concern for him and his own need to simply laugh to keep from being angry won out in the end.

"That bruising is going to hurt for a while, and some of the wounds." Sirius trailed off scanning his eyes over the numerous bandages wrapped around his body, "They were made by a cursed blade. There was only so much spells could do."

Draco shuddered, biting his lip at the feeling of utter disgust and fear. He'd expanded his collection of scars it seemed.

Sirius blinked rapidly before moving to once more clasp his shoulder lightly as to not aggravate his wounds. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but at that moment Draco yawned and Sirius's concentration was broken.

"You're exhausted no doubt." Sirius said helping him stretch back down to lay flat on his back "We can talk more tomorrow."

"Today." Draco corrected before yawning into the crook of his elbow once more. He gestured to the lone clock on the wall.

Sirius glanced at it and smirked in response before shaking his head.

"Get some sleep Draco."

He held his breath watching Sirius walk toward the door.

Ready to leave.

Ready to leave him.

He closed his eyes, his chin trembling as he spoke.

"You could stay."

* * *

"Sirius said he woke up during the night." Hermione said fiddling with the teacup in front of her.

She kept her eyes downward as she spoke, only able to see Ron's shifting arm beside her.

"Well that's good." Harry finally said.

She looked up, biting her lip. "Yeah. He was up for about 20 minutes before he fell back asleep"

"If I was on as many pain potions, I'd sleep all day too." Ron snorted.

Hermione cracked a smile at that, but the humor was lost on her. She'd scarcely managed to hold it together since she came to. Sure, she was tired, sore, and her sides hurt if she took a breath deep enough, but everything else running around in her head; worry, fear, guilt...She wanted to see him, and yet at the same time…

"Earth to Hermione." Harry said waving a hand before her face.

She blinked. "Sorry. Just drifted away for a second."

Harry's brow rose. "You alright Hermione?"

She smiled weakly. "I'm fine."

"Hermione."

"I'm fine Harry. Great all things considering,.. Everything that could have happened, I'm fantastic. It's just Draco-"

"I'm not asking about Draco." Harry said reaching out and taking her hands into his. "I'm asking about you."

She blinked and suddenly Ron was in front of her too.

"You keep avoiding you 'Mione, and for all you worry about Draco... Since you heard he woke up you haven't been to his room once."

Her chin trembled and all of a sudden her vision was blurring and wet tracks were dripping down her cheeks.

"I just...I was so scared, and then he. And then he spoke up and I." She choked out a breath leaning forward until her head rested on Ron's shoulder as she shook. "I was so relieved and horrified that I could think that, but I...It was my fault. The sword was in my bag and and… and I thought she was going to kill him and then kill the rest of us and…" She sobbed as Ron wrapped an arm around her and Harry rubbed her back as she cried.

"Come on 'Mione." Harry whispered, "You always tell me not to blame myself for things I couldn't control."

"You were scared." He continued, "And people aren't logical when they're scared."

She shook her head, pulling away as she wiped at her cheeks.

"I know." She murmured, "i know, but I still thought it."

Ron shook his head letting out a frustrated sigh. After a moment, he seemed to come to some conclusion. He cleared his throat, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on hers.

"If it were him who caught her attention, what would you do?"

"Distract her." She replied automatically and what Ron had managed to do forced the air out of her lungs.

Ron smiled weakly at her. "Exactly."

* * *

Hermione wrapped her arms around her middle as she squared her shoulders and headed up the steps. She was ready to see him. Ron and Harry, they'd finally made her see everything clearly. With that clarity, that need, the ache of her insides was so overwhelming. It was consuming, the need to see him, hear him talk, feel his warm touch.

She was so distracted in her thoughts that she wasn't paying any attention as she turned to step off the steps and to the hall that she didn't notices the other figure moving down the hall.

"Oh Hermione!"

She blinked and steadied herself, moving away from Fleur.

"I'm sorry I didn't see you." Fleur continued with a smile.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think I was paying much attention to where I was going either."

Fleur flashed her a knowing look before inclining her head toward the room at the end of the hall. "I was just going to check on Draco. It seems 'e's doing better than this morning."

The two fell into step as they headed toward Draco's temporary room.

"What happened this morning?"

"I went to check on 'im and 'e 'ad somehow gotten to the bathroom to be sick."

Hermione snapped her head around to meet Fleur's gaze. "Is he alright?" She asked alarmed.

"Bad potion combination." Fleur explained as they came to a stop at the door, "'E should be fine now."

Hermione nodded, her shoulders dropping in relief. She turned and took a breath before she knocked once on the door and opened it.

She stepped in, leaving the door open as she continued drawn toward the bed.

He was still sleeping, though not deeply so as he seemed to shift at the sound of their footsteps.

Unconsciously, her feet continued forward until she could sit at the edge of the mattress. Her hand automatically went to his forehead, smoothing the creases she found there before running her fingers through his hair and down to cup one side of his cheek.

Her eyes fell on the scar that now ran faintly through his eyebrow and she held back a sob at the sight.

"Hello love." she whispered.

She could make out Fleur quickly checking his vitals behind her. No doubt, she wanted to finish and leave to give them some privacy.

Draco shook his head, turning slightly so that his lips brushed at her palms.

She smiled slightly at the tickle of his breath as his lips parted slightly.

"Draco." She whispered, "I'm here."

He murmured something against her hand before shifting once more as his eyes fluttered open.

His gaze was foggy, and she could tell that whatever they'd been giving him for pain had dulled his senses and made it even more difficult for him to grasp awareness.

"Hey." She whispered as his eyes seemed to settle on hers after another moment.

He blinked before a slow spreading smile pulled at his lips.

"'Mione."

He let out a deep breath before he moved and brought a hand up to rub at his eyes. He moved to pull himself up, struggling at the motion. She quickly moved to help him, but he caught her by the waist and pulled her down to lay beside him.

"Hey." He murmured, nuzzling his face against her neck.

"Hey yourself." She grinned.

"Hmm." He laughed against her skin, his unshaven cheek tickling her.

She turned on her side to face him. She cupped his jaw, letting her finger spread across his cheek.

"I was so worried. So scared. Gods Draco. I'm sorry. I…" She sobbed burying her face into the pillow as tears fell silently down.

Draco stiffened in alarm beside her at the sight of her tears, instantly more alert than he'd been a second before.

"Hermione, love, no. Don't. Don't apologize for anything. I knew what would happen, and I'd have done it again."

His hands cupped her face, turning her toward him. His thumbs brushed the tracks from her cheeks.

"No matter what would have happened..."

She looked up and saw his eyes darken for a moment.

"You shouldn't have felt any guilt."

She blinked wiping her face before pressing her lips to his. "No. No. No. We would have saved you no matter what." She murmured between kisses.

He let out a breath, shaking his head, and she could tell something was holding him back. He said nothing, merely shook his head once more before covering her mouth with his and kissing her slow. His tongue was gentle, careful, as it asked for entrance, which she granted quick enough. He nipped her lip, moving to press light kisses down her jaw, stopping with one last kiss at her throat

She shivered, her lids fluttering open as she caught sight of his eyes. She blinked quickly.

"We saved you. Alright. We saved you." She murmured.

His response was just to kiss her again.

* * *

He freaked out when she got up. He wasn't even sure why. He knew she was only going to the bathroom, but the idea that he would be alone…His breaths had become shallow and too fast. Then his vision had blurred and he could hear his blood roaring as it pounded at the base of his skull.

It was a weakness, and he hated it. Gods knew he did.

' _I wish these would stop happening to you.' She'd whispered._

She didn't know the half of it.

He shook his head running a hand through his hair as he waited for her to come back. He'd managed to somewhat dress himself and was hoping that he could convince Hermione to help him downstairs. He didn't want to stay up here, he was sick of the sight of the bedroom, and frankly he didn't want to stay up here alone and conscious. The turns his mind was twisting through were hardly pleasant.

And he wanted to stay by Hermione. He'd been so close to losing her, because surely Bellatrix wouldn't have allowed her to live. Not if she'd known the extent of their relationship. Though the mad witch had certainly had suspicions.

 _I have plans for her later._

The words had chilled him more than any pain or threat she could have thrown at him.

He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told Snape that he wanted to see her burned alive. He wanted her to suffer. To die after hours of agony.

And Gods help him, but he knew enough, was capable, to inflict it.

His door swung open, and he looked up quickly.

His breath caught at the sight of her. She was tired. That much was still obvious, but the brightness in her eyes seemed to overshadow that. She seemed more relaxed though, and that might have had to do with the short kip they'd had wrapped in each other's arms.

There was a slight tremor in her hands, the only hint to the injuries she'd sustained just a day before. He hoped for her sake that it would disappear, but one could never be sure. Each person reacted differently to the curse. He knew that first hand.

A small frown pulled at her lips as she crossed the room quickly with her arms folded and pressed against her chest.

"No."

"Please."

Her face softened at that, but he could tell she still wasn't convinced. She let out a breath as her hand came to his face starting at his brow and coming slowly down to the edge of his eye.

"This one will heal ok." She whispered, "There was some magic involved, but not enough to be unable to treat."

He held his breath as her fingers went lower to his neck. He wasn't sure where this was going, terrified really about where it could go, but he couldn't bring himself to say a word.

"These are the same. They'll be faint though, because it took so long to treat." she paused for a moment, meeting his eyes briefly. "Any deeper or to the right…"

He swallowed roughly. "Her wand. She stabbed it down and dragged."

Her chin trembled for a second before she clenched her jaw and continued down to his shoulders.

"They changed here. Became magical and deeper."

"Cursed blade." he breathed, closing his eyes as he felt her hand drop and ghost his arm, stopping at his inner forearm.

"What is it?" he whispered, "I've been asleep both times Fleur has changed the bandages."

A soft whimper made him blink to open his eyes.

Her warm ones had misted as she blinked furiously.

"The dark mark. She tried to carve out the dark mark."

She shook her head leaning down and kissing his forehead. He swallowed roughly.

At least now, those mad ramblings of hers made sense.

"It was so much Draco. So so much blood." she murmured, "Took 4 blood replenishing potions to make sure you didn't go into shock."

"I'm still here." he said moving his arms up to wrap around her waist. "And staying up here isn't going to make me heal faster or keep me safe."

She dropped her head to rest over his as her arms wrapped to hug his neck.

"I know."

He hugged her tighter. He could understand her feelings, part of him didn't want to rejoin the outside world yet. Though, a greater part of him was afraid of where his thoughts would go if he stayed up here alone for long.

He'd been so cold and removed, ready to just give...

"I don't want to stay up here." he said, shutting his eyes tight for a breath before he craned his neck up to meet her eyes.

Especially not alone.

"And we all need to talk." He added. "All of us."

She bit her lip, studying his face before she finally nodded once.

"Alright."

* * *

It was a long walk down. His body was weak. Two steps at a time with rest was his pace.

It was a bit pathetic.

He needed this though. Everything was rapidly drawing to a close, and he wanted to see it through.

Potions would only take him part of the way. He'd have to force the rest of his recovery to be just as fast.

They ended up settling in a small kitchen that held a window showing a beautiful outdoor field that eventually dropped off to a cliff.

He'd grown lost at the sight, letting his eyes soak up the fields, cliff, and the stretch of sea that eventually blended in with the horizon.

Hermione had been beside him, eating a late lunch and forcing one into him as best she could.

It's where Potter and Weasley eventually found them, and their arrival had signaled an end to his daydreaming.

Plotting, planning, they were familiar workings of his mind. Necessary distractions that he needed.

Keeping busy had always been his coping mechanism, and it didn't seem that was going to change any time soon.

"So the cup's been destroyed?" he asked.

He felt Hermione's hand snake under the table to grab his.

"We did it yesterday while you were out." she said softly, "I broke it in half with the sword."

He blinked, staring at her as though trying to discern her motivations. He didn't have to look hard to find it. She held a certain misplaced sense of guilt that was still very much clear in her eyes. It was easy to see how that would lead to a strong desire for some sort of retribution, and destroying a horcrux...that was the quickest outlet she'd had.

That she'd admitted as much without having to say it touched and frightened him at the same time.

He nodded, quickly looking away.

He didn't want to contemplate what she might have done had he actually…

"That leaves Hogwarts."

He turned his gaze to Potter. "You haven't seen anything have you?"

The other shook his head, and he let out a breath of relief. "We should be good for 2 days then. After, we'll have to get there before he seals off every entrance to protect his last piece."

Potter's brow rose. "We?"

He felt Hermione tug at his arm. He bit the inside of his cheek before he reluctantly looked down to meet her concerned gaze. "You're going to need more than 2 days to recover." She said gently, "You can help us plan, but I don't want…"

"You don't get to dictate what I do or don't do." He said harshly before immediately regretting it at the hurt that flashed across her face. He shook his head before sighing tiredly.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just… I'm not sitting out. 2 days is enough for me. I'll be ready to go, trust me."

She bit her lip, obviously doubting his words.

"Don't deny me this." He whispered low enough for only her to hear. She trembled against him for a moment before nodding to signal her acceptance.

"If he thinks he'll be ready than let the bloke be." He heard Weasley say. He turned slightly to meet the other's eyes.

"Maybe he also has some freak healing ability he hasn't told us about. Always full of surprises, aren't ya. A fucking animagus." Weasley continued with a sour look.

He shrugged and with smirk said, "I'm unregistered. It was need to know."

"I think that was something we should have known."

"Why?" Draco countered.

He deflated slightly, crossing his arms. "I don't know. We could have used it for something."

"Right." Draco said flatly.

To his surprise, Potter let out a laugh at that. The action was infectious because in seconds they each had joined in. It was a rather absurd thing to be laughing about, but at this point he was sure that the laughter was just an outlet. They'd all been wound so tight, and now the end was nearing.

The stakes were higher than ever, but for now they could indulge in some distraction before they dove back into the chaos.

The tension around the table seemed to dissolve after that, and new plans were quickly drawn up for Hogwarts.

They'd seemed to find a balance now, and he could tell that the occurrences at the Manor had radically shifted the duo's opinion of him. They certainly seemed to trust him a hell of a lot more.

He could tell that they were all, in their own way, concerned about him. It was both inconvenient and slightly heartwarming. Even more than that, it was uncomfortable. He didn't want to talk about it, and he doubted he would any time soon.

It had been a nightmare, and not just Bellatrix's actions.

His own response had shook him even more than he was able to admit.

As time past, he felt himself grow stiff as he sat. He really was too stubborn for his own good.

It was nearly time for dinner when he felt he could no longer keep himself upright.

Hermione must have sensed it, because it wasn't long after that that their discussion waned and she'd excused them both from the kitchen.

He tiredly dragged his feet as they lingered by the stairs.

She let out a breath, turning her head to look up at him.

"Are you alright Draco?" She finally asked, "With everything that happened, if you wanted to talk about it or-"

"I don't." he said, wincing at how harsh his words had come out.

She bit her lip. "Right. I just thought that maybe. If you wanted… I'd listen, you know."

"There's nothing to say." he said, more gently this time, but no less firm. He didn't want to talk, and certainly not about his thoughts. Not to her. Frankly he was afraid of just what he might say and how she'd blame herself.

"Ok." she said weakly, obviously disappointed at his refusal.

She took a breath. "Draco, it's-"

"Would you look at that. It lives."

They both turned, and a half smile formed on his face at the sight of Tonks walking as fast as she could toward them.

She smiled widely and when she reached them, she pulled Draco tightly to her, hugging him fiercely.

"And they say Gryffindors are reckless. They've got nothing on you."

He laughed weakly, letting his arms wind around Tonks as he hugged her tightly back. He felt himself relax into the embrace. He wasn't sure what it was about his cousin, but she never failed to make him feel safe and completely free from expectation.

"Why don't I leave you two to catch up."

He pulled away from Tonks and turned to face Hermione.

A smile that didn't quite reach her eyes was pasted on her face. "I'm sure you guys have a lot to talk about, and I think Fleur may need help with dinner."

He flinched at her false cheer. "Hermione."

"It's fine Draco." She shook her head, "We'll talk later."

He was about to protest, but she'd already spun on her heel and headed right back to the kitchen.

Tonks eyed Hermione's retreating form before settling her gaze on him. "Right then."

* * *

They were quiet on the way up, and he slipped more times then he cared to recall. Tonks didn't comment on it though.

She steadied him with an encouraging smile, and they just kept pressing forward.

He just about collapsed when they reached the guest room.

He fell, back first, onto the mattress letting out a sigh of relief at being able to stretch out and rest.

Tonks took the seat at his bedside, sighing in relief as her hand came up to rest on her stomach.

He looked at her for a moment, a thin smile on his lips at the gesture before he re-trained his gaze on the ceiling.

"She's only worried about you."

He let out a puff of air.

"I know."

Tonks moved the chair closer.

"What don't you want to tell her?" she pressed.

He bit his lip as his chin trembled at that question. He shut his eyes, hoping against all hope that Tonks would let the question go. Because, unlike Hermione, Tonks...Tonks knew. She knew exactly what these kinds of experiences entailed. She'd trained for them, seen them first hand, and...and Tonks was his family. That alone made it infinitely harder to lie and say everything was fine.

When it involved a member of their family, nothing was ever fine.

And maybe that reasoning alone was enough for the ironclad shields he'd put up around him once he'd woken to crack. Either way, one moment he was working excruciatingly hard to focus on his breathing, and the next he was curled up in a ball with his back to Tonks as the words began to fall.

"I knew what to expect. I thought I'd be prepared. I didn't think…" His breath hitched, "I didn't think it would be any different than the other times. I didn't think that she'd…"

He shuddered.

"I kept bleeding, and as time ran together I stopped noticing each time she jabbed that fucking knife into me. I just wanted…" And here his voice cracked, "I just wanted it to be over."

He heard Tonks's breath halt at that before her warm hand pressed into his back.

"Before. That night _he_ cursed me, I thought I would die. I expected to. I didn't want to, but I thought, there's no way he's going to let me live. And..and if my life saved Mum's, I could accept it." He whispered. "But..but Bellatrix."

He turned then, sitting up and drawing his knees up to his chest, wincing in pain at the movement. "I wanted to die. She...She made me want to die, and part of me wonders if it wasn't really even her. If maybe I should have a long time ago."

"Draco."

He coughed, dropping his eyes to focus on his knees as he blinked furiously.

"Don't Draco. Don't."

He felt the bed dip as Tonks sat up on the edge and clasped her hands gently around his arms.

"Can you look at me please?"

He let out a shaky breath, tilting his head slightly to expose part of his face.

"This...This thing, plan or plot or whatever, it's been all you've had for a long time. You've done...You've seen a lot of terrible things that no one, let alone a 17 year old, should have too."

He held his breath, feeling the war he was waging against the moisture in his eyes was rapidly failing.

"But don't, don't take on a burden that isn't all your own and decide the only price to pay for it is your life."

He blinked and felt beads form at the edges of his lids.

"We all… we all have our moments, and we have to be able to take the bad along with the good. And you, you are too strong to have the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange break you. You, Draco Lucius Black, you are a survivor. That much you've proven time and time again."

He shook his head.

"I...Even before this started, I thought, after everything I'd have to do, that would be the end I would-"

"Deserve?" Tonks finished, tears dripping freely down her face, "The fuck it is Draco."

He blinked so stunned that he'd heard Tonks curse that he nearly missed everything else she said.

"I swear, you and yours, dramatic as hell and terrible at apologizing and moving forward."

He swallowed roughly, wondering if whoever Tonks was also referring to was who he thought it was.

"I'm sorry." Tonks continued, grasping his hands in between hers, "I'm sorry Draco that you...that you grew up the way you did. That you felt you had to be so hard, so perfect, so unnaturally strong and empty of weakness. But." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, "It's ok if you aren't all the time. It's ok to be scared, as long as you don't let the fear consume you."

He blinked, his vision blurring momentarily at the motion.

"I wanted to die." he choked out.

"I know sweetheart."

He shook, dropping his head to rest on Tonks's shoulder. "I wanted to die." He murmured, over and over as he let everything he'd hoped to bury inside completely pour out of him.

"Sweetheart I know."

* * *

He stayed with his face buried in Tonks's shoulder for quite some time. Eventually his exhaustion caught up with him and he fell into a fitful sleep.

He woke a few hours into the night with the dark already settled around him. He sat up slowly, rubbing at his face and taking note of the piece of paper with his cousin's familiar scribble.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he managed, quite painfully and slow, to pull himself out of bed.

Tonks had, in her own way, pried him open. Something he knew he wouldn't be able to repeat with anyone else for a while longer.

Though that didn't mean he couldn't at least make one thing right.

He stumbled across the floor and slipped quietly from his room to the hall.

He leaned against the wall, pausing to catch his breath before he stepped forward to the room directly across from his.

He opened the door slowly, and silently crossed the room to head toward the bed.

Hermione was tangled in her sheets, asleep but not deeply as she stirred the moment he sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Hermione." He whispered before hesitantly touching her shoulder to shake her gently.

She shifted, a hand coming up to her face to rub at her eyes. She blinked before her lids closed again.

"Draco?"

"Hey." He whispered before shaking his head, "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm just not ready to...and I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Her eyes fluttered open once more, and she seemed infinitely more awake now than she had a moment before.

"Oh Draco." She murmured sitting up before wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging him to lie beside her down on the bed.

"It's ok." She murmured, "I can wait."

"I love you." he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and folding his body to fit against hers.

"I love you." She whispered, "I love you so much."

He kissed her cheek before dropping his head to fit into the crook of her neck.

"Sleep." She mumbled, her voice already thickening as she began to fall back into her dreams. "We have tomorrow, the next day, and the day after. We'll figure it out."

"I love you." he answered.

She tightened her grip around him.

"I know."


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Sorry for how long it took to update, but the grad school life has been hectic! Thanks to all who reviewed and have stuck around following this story from the beginning. You're all gems. As always Reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

" _You're such a handsome young man aren't you." She murmured taking a lone finger and softly tracing his cheek down to tilt his chin up. She smiled slightly, tickling him before dropping her hand and leaning heavily at the bars around the bed._

" _Probably get it from you father." She leaned down closer, her long blonde hair tumbling from over her shoulder close enough for him to grasp between his fingers. "Don't tell him I said that though. Merlin forbid his ego grows any larger."_

 _He must have made a face, because soon she was laughing at the sight of him before leaning over and plucking him up into her arms._

 _She pulled him close to her chest, humming softly as she rocked him and then came to rest at the small window sill seat. "You're going to do great things aren't you my sweet dragon." She hummed, "I can feel it. You're going to be a powerful wizard aren't you." She positioned him in her arms so that he could gaze up at her gray eyes._

 _She smiled warmly down at him._

" _I'm already so proud of you my clever little dragon." She let her fingers drift closer to his hands and he reached for them instinctively._

" _You know Mommy loves you so much. So much Draco."_

 _She looked like she wanted to say more, but at that moment the sound of a man's voice drifted through the cracks in the door of the room._

" _Lena?"_

 _She sighed, smirking slightly before standing swiftly and pulling him to rest on her hip. "Now that'll be Daddy. Let's go see him hmm." She kissed his forehead gently. "Just don't tell him what we've been talking about love. That's just for you and me. Mother to son."_

 _She smiled as the scene began to fade around him._

" _But you know how to keep secrets don't you? That, you get from me."_

* * *

Draco blinked, his breathing fast as he stared up at the dark ceiling above his head. Unconsciously, his hand came up to his forehead as though he'd somehow be able to feel the kiss from dreams to consciousness.

It had all felt so real.

So perfect down to the detail of the sun painting streaks into her brilliant blonde hair.

Had it been just a dream? A dream or a memory.

Was that even possible?

He felt his heart pound against his chest at the thought. He shifted slightly as though sitting up would slow his heart and help him breathe before he stilled at the feel of Hermione shifting beside him.

He held his breath, letting her move until she'd turned on her side, freeing his other arm enough to slide out from around her without waking her.

She was so peaceful in sleep. Worry seemed to slip off her face, relaxing the lines in her face and giving her an overall sense of serenity that often spread over to him. Once she'd fallen into dreams, very little could persuade her away from them.

He smiled fondly at the thought. It was probably because of that that he found it so easy to slip into sleep with her at his side. It was something even she'd realized, which is what had led to her staying through the night with him ever since he'd snuck into her room that first time to apologize.

His hand once more came to rest at the skin of his forehead.

The smile fell of his face as he silently stepped out of the bed and without so much as the sound of a footstep he fled from the room half dressed and out into the hall.

The dream, or rather the memory, because surely something so vivid could only be that, was still clinging to him like a warm embrace. Yet, he felt like he needed to do something. Seek out reassurance. For what, he couldn't say. He only knew that he needed to…

"Going somewhere?"

He froze, turning slightly to meet Remus's bright eyes. The other looked just as tired as he suddenly felt. There was no accusation in Remus's words, but there was a warning that sneaking out was not to be tolerated.

Nor was an excuse for that matter.

He cleared his throat.

"I'd." he fumbled for a moment before straightening, "I'd like to go see her. Just once while I still can before…" He let his sentence trail off, unsure how to finish it. Not really wanting to either.

Remus's face softened for a moment.

"Well, let's not keep her waiting then."

* * *

Hermione sighed, stirring her tea absently as she looked out the window from her seat at the kitchen table.

She must have just missed Draco. She'd woken with the barest hint of warmth still clinging to the sheets beside her. Then she'd seen the note, relaxing only when she read that Remus would be with him.

The idea that he would be out alone was worrisome not just for the state that he was in, but with the increased tension that was being felt on both sides. Increased patrols, and the rest of them waiting for a moment's notice before they would have to spring into action and rush to Hogwarts.

He really should have been taking it easy, he was already pushing his limits by fast tracking his healing. He was too stubborn though.

She shook her head.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest, even as it raced with anticipation. They'd be going to Hogwarts today. She didn't know how she could deduce such a thing, but it seemed like a certainty.

Like the rest of her knew something her conscious did not.

The feeling only made her wish Draco was closer for about the millionth time that hour.

"Have you always been an early riser?"

She dropped the spoon abruptly splashing a few drops of her tea as it fell.

Ted gave her a soft smile as he came slowly around to seat himself before her.

She relaxed instinctively. Ted Tonks's easy and welcoming nature had been a great comfort to them all ever since he'd begun to get around more. Though in her case, that comfort came more in a sense of kinship.

"Lately I am." She finally said, clearing her throat before she picked up her wand and summoned a second cup.

He nodded his head in thanks, taking the cup from her.

"I take it my nephew has stepped out?"

She dipped her chin in a short nod. "With Remus. To his mother's grave."

Ted leaned back. "I suppose that does make sense." He took a sip for his tea, before speaking once more. "It's where it all began for him. It's important now, for all of us to remember why we are fighting with a battle so close."

"I suppose so." She reluctantly agreed. She couldn't fault Draco for wanting to visit his mother's grave. Yet, she almost wished that if he had to that he had asked her to come.

As though he could sense her reluctance, Ted cracked a smile sipping once more from his tea.

"So much of this...it reminds me of the first war."

She looked up from where her eyes had fallen to the table, quickly meeting Ted's.

"I hold on to it. Those reasons I fought the first time still hold true now. My place in this world. My daughter's." He let out a shuddering breath, "For my wife. I hope it will be enough."

"But wasn't it the first time? You fought with the Order. You fought pureblood ideology to be with Andromeda." She said then, her words coming out in a rush and full of fire. It was like she felt obligated to defend Ted from any shortcomings he himself felt he had. To her, it seemed so obvious. He'd taken up a cause and committed himself to it. He'd done everything right. How could that not be enough?

Ted's brow rose.

"I fought? I think you'll find Dromeda fought more against pureblood ideals than I could ever hope to."

Hermione bit her lip as she fell silently, equal parts confused at Ted's statement and curious to see him expand upon it.

"You and I, we came into this world having accepted that we ourselves were different. That there were those that were different from us. That there was nothing wrong with that. To us that's all obvious, but it's not for someone like my wife. We don't know how they were raised exactly. We don't fully understand the history of the stigma, of the conflicts between magical races, and unfortunately not even a book will teach you about feelings."

Ted sighed.

"So you see the difference is, I knew how I had been treated. I knew where the sentiment came from based on a history book. The thing was, I could have cared less for how the aristocracy viewed me. I could have cared less about thousands of years of traditions and personal hardships and family history. It was meaningless to me."

Ted put his cup down on the table, his fingers tracing a pattern only he could see.

"But it wasn't to Andromeda. A family history, a family legacy, was heavy on her shoulders the entire time. Her own ideology, challenged at every turn." He glanced up to bear his gaze into hers. "I'll think you'll find that fight is a lot more messy, bloody…"

Ted cleared his throat, blinking quickly.

"If you think of it like that. Andromeda fought for me. I just married her." He laughed lightly, and she blinked quickly at the misting clinging to the edge of her eyes. "I realized it as that war started picking up. It made me want to fight so much harder for a world where I could prove to her that it was worth it. I can only hope that our life together has been."

He smiled slightly.

"We have our brilliant daughter and a grandson on the way...I'll fight for them for all those same reasons. I'll be stronger for it, I'm sure."

Ted pushed his chair back as he stood.

"Don't begrudge Draco wanting to remember his own reasons, and," He came closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should do the same."

* * *

Remus hung back as he stepped forward slowly stopping about a foot from the base of the stone.

His chest tightened as it always seemed to when he came here, but it felt different this time. There was much more weight in what he had to say now that he thought he was in danger of being crushed.

His legs ached, and he tried to convince himself it was for that reason that they were shaking now.

Where to begin?

He'd been so anxious to come and now it seemed that his silver gilded tongue was going to fail him.

He'd come because of a dream, and he hardly wanted to discuss that with Remus hanging over his shoulder. Even if he knew the other wouldn't judge him for it, he felt that it had been such a tender private moment that it was too personal to share with others around to hear.

Not like this at least.

He wanted to say how doomed this all felt.

How worried he was about the fight that would soon pull them to Hogwarts.

How he still felt anxious whenever anyone left him in a room alone.

How he was scared that they would lose and that a loss would cost more than any would ever want to pay…

It all seemed implied. It would be almost redundant to say it all now.

He took a breath bringing his left arm close to his chest and wrapping his other hand atop the bandages that still remained firm around his forearm.

"I did this for you." He said quietly.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back just as a faint breeze came. He shuddered at the cold, aware and yet somehow removed from feeling it.

For a moment, he thought he could feel that faint kiss from his dream once more at his forehead.

He opened his eyes and once more read that name carved into the stone.

"I did this for you, and it has given me and taken everything." he continued lowly, "I hope I make you proud...this last time."

With that, he turned on his heel keeping his head low as he heard Remus's soft footsteps follow behind him.

He discreetly wiped at the corner of his eyes before he lifted his head to tell Remus that they should apparate back.

"You made me proud." Remus said then. "No matter what has happened or will happen you and that trio of deviants have made me proud."

He swallowed roughly, and Remus flashed him a warm smile.

"I know Lena would have been too."

* * *

A reason for all this.

The thought had haunted Hermione since she'd finished speaking with Ted that morning. It had been echoing over and over in her mind as she'd gone on to help with breakfast, triple check all her emergency supplies were in order, and finally to where she'd come outside to sit near the edge of the cliff in hope that the rhythmic ebb of the waves along the stone's edge would bring her peace somehow.

Harry had come out to join her not 10 minutes ago, and since then they'd both sat in silence just watching the water.

Harry took a deep breath then, shattering the quiet around them.

"We're doing this for the right reasons right?" he said. "For all the people that we love."

She nodded dumbly, shocked that their lines of thought had been so similar.

He sighed then, crossing his arms and pressing them close to his chest.

"I just don't want to let anyone down. I mean, if things go wrong…"

"No one will blame you Harry." She cut him off then, turning to meet his eyes. He blinked furiously before looking away.

She shuddered for a moment before reaching her hand out to curl around his.

"I am not here because I'm following the 'Boy Who Lived'. I'm here because you're Harry, my first friend." She swallowed roughly as she squeezed his hand, "And I believe in you and everything we're doing."

She bit her lip.

"And you are so brave Harry Potter. Braver than I could ever hope to be. I know you'll give it everything you can."

He shook his head. "What if…"

"Harry we've survived impossible things. Trust yourself."

He shook his head, and she could tell he was somewhat amused at the vehemence of her tone.

She'd practically been ordering him to believe, but really what else could she do?

She couldn't promise that any one thing would happen. She could only remind him of what they'd already managed to overcome.

He sighed again, the edges of his mouth curling upward as he regarded her fondly. His grip tightened around her hand before he let go.

"Let's go back inside. It's getting cold out here."

She shivered as if on cue, suddenly realizing that her original warming charm must have faded quite some time ago.

She smiled slightly. It seemed a little hypocritical of her now.

She stood and they both rushed back into the cottage barely avoiding another body as he turned to enter the living room.

She stepped back instinctively at the sight of such dark black robes before she glanced up.

"Professor Snape." She said, inclining her head in greeting.

He nodded once at her before meeting Harry's gaze.

His eyes narrowed for a moment as Harry tilted his chin up in some kind of defiance at Snape's evaluation of him.

"I see that stubborn and misguided bravery is as present as ever." Snape said with his eyes alight in what she was shocked to realize was amusement.

He studied Harry for a moment longer. "Good." he said after another breath.

"Why Professor, I think that's the only compliment you've ever given me."

Snape sneered though amusement was still clear in his eyes.

"My apologies if my intentions were never clear enough for you Potter."

The two locked eyes with one another as though to continue the rest of their conversation silently. It was barely a minute later that she watched Harry incline his head, a thin smile on his face. "I suppose it's better late than never."

Hermione bit her lip, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes at the situation. Were all Slytherins just incapable of speaking plainly?

Harry laughed then before shaking his head.

"Goodbye Professor." He said before turning and indicating she should follow him as he left the room toward the kitchen.

She moved to follow, stopping at the doorway when she heard Snape call out her name.

She half turned, unsure what more the man would have to say. Hadn't his backhanded compliment and apology been enough shocks for today.

Apparently not.

"Thank you."

She blinked in confusion. Had she heard correctly.

"For loving my godson."

Her mouth dropped as her chest tightened. It was a funny thing to be thanked for, but at the same time, she found she couldn't belittle such a sentiment.

It meant enough that her surly Professor felt the need to voice it. Not for the first time, she found herself wondering what kind of relationship Draco and Snape must have. A close one for sure, which in and of itself was shocking.

Especially when you considered how private the two were.

She cleared her throat and hoped her voice wouldn't give away any of the surge of emotions that were threatening to spill from her chest.

"I didn't choose to," She bit her lip, "But I couldn't stop myself."

He nodded once, and she swore he smiled for a moment before his face was blank once more.

"Yes, it's funny how that happens."

* * *

Draco had barely stepped foot in the cottage before he separated himself from Remus and began to wander aimlessly throughout the house.

He felt like he needed to think, plan, keep busy so he could re-center himself.

It was strange how he now felt he also needed Hermione to do that.

He paused on his way to the kitchen, catching sight of a figure huddled into the couch with a book forgotten in her lap as she stared at the fireplace before her.

He walked slowly into the room not wanting to startle her.

As he neared, as though sensing his presence, she blinked and turned to him with a smile pulling at her lips.

"Hi." She said softly.

He sat beside her, his arm quick to wrap around her and pull her close.

"Hi." He echoed.

"How was visiting your Mum?"

He sighed, dropping his head to rest atop hers.

He thought for a moment before answering honestly.

"I don't know."

He felt her nod beneath him as her arm came to wrap around him at the waist.

"Yeah, I get that."

They fell back into silence, taking comfort in each other's presence for quite some time. It wasn't long after that they both nodded off.

He wasn't sure how long they'd eventually come to lay on the couch tangled up in each other when Potter came barreling in some time into the night.

His glasses were askew and his clothes rumpled like he'd grabbed the first thing in his reach before rudely stomping down the steps and waking him in the process. A second later Weasley followed in much the same state as the other.

He shifted to sit as Hermione stood, rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes.

"Harry?"

Potter looked grimly between the two of them.

"We have to go."


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Thank you to everyone who left a review, I loved reading each and every one! Keep them coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

They apparated straight into Hogsmeade.

A mistake really.

But Potter had been so rushed, and frankly adamant, that they leave right then. He'd barely been able to get a word in edgewise before he'd felt his body being sucked into the void that came with apparating.

And now they were sneaking around, moving as quickly and quietly as they dared, with whoever had been on patrol at their tales.

His fucking luck.

He dug into his pocket fiddling about until he felt the cool surface of a coin.

He hoped to Merlin Theo or Blaise would at least be up to get his message. He let his eyes scan the area and without a word he tugged at Hermione's arm and directed the lot of them into an alleyway.

He leaned against the wall, hoping to somehow catch his breath as his mind rushed to evaluate their options. For a moment, his gaze met Hermione's who without a word held her wand out and cast a silencing spell along with a disillusionment charm.

"So tell me why the bloody fuck we've apparated straight into Hogsmeade with no plan whatsoever in the middle of the night." He hissed turning to glare at Potter.

" _He_ knows." Potter said, not even blinking at the vehemence of his tone, "He knows about the cup. He'll be here soon. We had to come."

Draco bit back a growl of frustration. It didn't matter if her grew frustrated now. Or angry. Or any other time wasting emotion.

He had to focus. Their priority at this point was getting off the streets.

As soon as they'd arrived, they'd been jumped and to make matters worse Weasley had shot a stunner at one of them, missed, and had all three night watchman on their tails in a matter of seconds.

He could have strangled the lot of them then. He'd said it time and time again. If you can't get all of them, then don't bother.

If they'd walked away at least then their faces wouldn't have been seen.

Now they'd essentially tipped off their opposition that they weren't meant to be here. The lowly watchmen of the Death Eaters may not have warranted much personal attention from the Dark Lord, but they were at least trained to carry out a rather competent protocol.

If they were prudent enough to follow it.

Either way, he'd have to assume other watchmen had been notified and soon that chain of command would culminate into a Death Eater being summoned.

He hoped for the life of him that it would be a Carrow.

That he could handle.

He shook his head, forcing himself away from his thoughts and back to the situation unfolding around him.

He was about to speak when the slightest hint of footsteps caught his ear.

The spells must have begun to weaken.

He motioned for them all to keep quiet, barely inclining his head in the direction he'd heard the noise.

He kept his wand firm in hand before he projected his mind to Hermione.

 _Drop the wards._

Whether she was surprised at his message or it's method of delivery, it didn't show on her face. With a flick of her wands, she'd cancelled her spells.

He darted forward first, and in seconds he had one body prone on the ground and out with a stunner. He twisted quickly looking for the second, relieved when he saw Hermione had already stunned him.

One more.

He turned at the sudden movement of a figure on the opposite side of the alleyway. He sent a stunner at the same time that Potter shot a spell that appeared to immobilize the last watchman.

He tilted his head in thanks as he knelt before the first watchman and made quick work of sifting through the poor fool's recent memories and obliviating them. He repeated the process twice, just finishing at the sound of a few more distinct cracks of apparition.

The cavalry.

Fuck.

"Move them into the alley. Disillusionment spells." He whispered as he hastily levitated the bloke before him behind an abandoned crate.

Potter and Weasley did the same to the two left, and then they were back to running.

"We can't keep on like this." Hermione said breathlessly coming up to meet his pace.

He grunted in response before he ducked to the left dragging her along to slip in the shadows of a stack of crates.

Potter and Weasley weren't far behind with two men at their heels.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

The pair stumbled to the other side of the crate. He was just about to cast a rushed Disillusionment spell when, to his surprise, Potter seemed to pull his invisibility cloak seemingly out of nowhere and drape it over the both of them.

In an instant, he switched and cast over himself and Granger. He tightened his grip around her just as the two came to a stop before them.

"They were just here."

"They couldn't have gotten far…"

He held his breath as the two continued to argue amongst themselves.

"The dementors should help snuff them out…"

His eyes widened at that, and he felt Hermione stiffen in alarm at the news.

Oh gods and above...they were well and truly fucked if dementors suddenly appeared.

"They won't be happy if we've lost them-"

A door suddenly opened then flooding the street with light.

"What in Merlin's name are you all doing causing a fuss in the middle of the night. Isn't it enough that you've forced a curfew on the lot of us?"

Draco stiffened at the voice. It sounded so familiar…

"Back inside old man. We've got…"

"A bunch of children to chase." The voice in the doorway snorted, stepping forward, "The neighbor's cat got loose, and they went after it. Don't waste you and your Master's time." he sneered.

Draco met Hermione's gaze, and he saw his own confusion reflected in her eyes.

The two glorified watch dogs seemed at a loss at what to do stepping backwards as though to debate amongst themselves this new information. At that moment, the older man had stepped forward and almost imperceptibly gestured with his hands in their direction and then toward the door.

He didn't like it. He didn't know who this stranger was, but really what were their options? Off the streets, they might have a moment to regroup.

He glanced at Hermione who bit her lip before nodding.

In they'd go.

He prayed to the gods this wasn't a trap.

He dug his hands into his pocket grasping his wand. It throbbed beneath his touch as though it could sense the tension and the fighting that surely lay ahead.

It occurred to him then, that the hum of magic that was currently buzzing from his wand was something he needed to consider as they moved forward. Had it only been a few months ago that he'd seen that symbol around Lovegood's neck and the pieces had fallen together?

Could it really be true?

He was sure he was right, wondering what he could possible due with such knowledge.

And whether it would be wise to disclose it. At least to Potter.

Merlin and above that thought made his stomach twist.

He stepped quickly, taking care that Hermione was behind him as he entered the establishment. He immediately took up a defensive position and made sure that his disillusionment charm was still in place.

He heard soft shuffling and knew that Potter and Weasley had joined them.

Their temporary savior was still in the doorway issuing some last warnings to the outside guards before he came in and promptly shut the door recasting spells that he recognized as familiar property wards.

His eyes drifted around the room, and it hit him then.

He'd been here before.

Hog's Head.

The older wizard turned then, his eyes drifting before settling on the corner of the room that the lot of them had chosen to occupy. As he did, Draco caught sight of his face and chilled at the eyes of the other.

His heart raced and for a moment he was thrown back to that night. The sharp feel of the cool air and sudden narrowness of the tower…

"It should be safe now. You all can come out."

He hesitated watching as Potter and Weasley shed the cloak. A second later Hermione broke her charm. Seeing her begin to reappear, he reluctantly dropped his own. His eyes never wavering from the wizard and his hand firmly around the wand stowed in his pocket.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Potter step forward as he seemed to study the wizard's face. After a moment, a light of recognition shone on his face and he spoke.

"Aberforth Dumbledore."

* * *

Hermione walked numbly up the steps, trailing after Ron and Harry as they were led up the steps by Aberforth.

Aberforth Dumbledore.

Merlin.

Her eyes wondered for a moment toward Draco. He seemed to be slowly but surely taking in everything around them. When he seemed to feel her gaze on him, he turned slightly to offer her a wan smile.

She wondered how many exits he'd already thought of in case anything went wrong.

But would it?

She could gather, based on the two brother's lack of acknowledgement and that horrendous biography by Skeeter, that the two Dumbledores had hardly been on the best of terms. Yet, Aberforth was in the Order. That had to stand for something.

Right?

They were led into a room upstairs and Aberforth examined them all for a moment before declaring he needed tea. He turned, his footsteps fading slowly as he left them to head back downstairs toward the kitchen.

She glanced around the room before her eyes caught sight of a portrait of a young girl with a beautiful landscape painted behind her. The girl caught sight of her and smiled sadly.

She wasn't sure why, maybe it was the lack of restful sleep or the emotional turmoil of having been chased, but she found herself tearing up at the portrait's expression.

She felt an arm snake around her waist and pull her close.

She relaxed at the feel of a strong warm body and sighed contently to take in his scent. She blinked up at Draco who was watching her with a measure of concern.

"You alright?" he murmured.

She nodded, gripping him tightly for a moment.

He didn't look too convinced, but he let it go as he cleared his throat and dropped his head close to hers.

"I tried to contact Blaise and Theo. At the very least they could tell us the best way back into the school. I doubt we'll be able to get in the way we did last time." He whispered suddenly looking very tired.

Was his strength already failing him? She wouldn't blame him if that were the case. He'd survived a brutal torture not a few days ago. Hell, they'd robbed a bank not a week ago.

And now they were attempting to sneak back into a school, which for all intents and purposes was more of a fortress than a place for education at the moment.

It all seemed rather unreal and ridiculous when put like that, but hadn't their stories been like that from the beginning?

She nodded in agreement before sighing. Her eyes drifting back to watch the girl in the portrait. After a moment, Ron and Harry both joined them as well.

And that was where Aberforth found them, all quietly standing shoulder to shoulder watching the sad portrait.

"My sister." He said by way of announcing himself.

"Ariana." Hermione murmured.

His sharp eyes found hers and he nodded stiffly.

"Yes." He let out a tired breath, "Ariana." His tone was so mournful, she felt herself begin to tear up again.

"A victim of my brother's manipulation as I suspect the three of you are as well." He was staring at his sister's portrait for a moment, lost in some other world of memories, before he shook his head and returned his focus to them.

"We have a task." Harry said, speaking up with that righteous tone of voice he always seemed to have when Dumbledore's name was mentioned with malice.

"You have a death sentence boy." For a second, Aberforth's eyes softened. "Leave while you can. In the morning, curfew will break and you can escape and be free from my brother's lies and deceits."

Harry shook his head stubbornly, and she could tell it was taking him everything he had not to snap at Aberforth right then and there.

Sensing this, Aberforth continued to speak in a soft and lulling voice, "My brother was a deeply flawed man-"

"He was a great man!" Harry interjected.

"And you can be a great man without being a good one."

Harry clamped his jaw shut at that.

"Great man he was. Powerful and addicted to gaining more." Aberforth continued, "He sought it out in his company bringing that wretched wizard into our home…"

Hermione huddled closer into Draco as Aberforth's tale continued, robbing her of any warmth she had left.

A young girl's bullying and attack. Brothers turning each other away. Of one's pursuit of power, knowledge...love that led to a Dark Wizard entering their home.

A duel.

A death.

"So you see," He finished, "those who follow my brother due so at a price. You all should leave. Flee and forget whatever gilded words Albus tried to feed you."

Draco was stiff beside her, standing straight and proud.

He would not flee. He hardly cared about Albus Dumbledore's manipulation, but he would stay and fight.

For his family.

And she would stay, again not for Dumbledore, but because the cause was just and her life and place in the Wizarding world were held in the balance.

Ron.

He would not sit on the sideline while they and every member of his family dashed forward to battle.

And Harry.

She saw it on his face as he glanced at Ariana Dumbledore before his bright eyes passed over each of them in turn and then lingering on Aberforth.

"He may have manipulated my entire life." Harry acknowledged, "But he wasn't wrong about this. If I can end this war, then I will keep fighting until my last breath."

A Gryffindor till the end.

Her heart ached at his resolve, proud beyond belief at the lot of them.

Her friends.

Her family.

They would be with each other until the end.

Aberforth studied them all, lingering for a moment longer at Harry and later on Draco. Without a word, he approached his sister's portrait.

She smiled at him, and he nodded at her. She smiled wider, turning and walking into the distance of her landscape.

Hermione watched in confusion as Ariana seemed to disappear, a white light appearing in her place in the distance of he landscape.

But then she started to appear, walking once more closer and closer with a figure at her side.

The portrait swung open then like a door, startling them all as that same figure stepped into the room to look at them.

A haggard look clung to him, but it seemed to disappear as he took them all in. He threw his head back and laughed.

"Well I knew it was only a matter of time before you all came back."

She couldn't help herself from smiling as he turned and greeted Harry and Ron.

Neville.

She glanced at Draco, who was watching them all intently before he discreetly seemed to reach into his pocket, a gold coin now in his hand.

He fingered it for a moment, his eyes downcast as he read the message and pocketed the coin once more.

He seemed at the same time both grim and relieved.

"I suppose this is our way in."


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: We are winding down! And since the end is in sight, I've decided to go ahead and publish my next story The Mastery. Check it out! As always, reviews = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was a bit surreal walking through a cramped passageway trusting Longbottom of all people to lead them through.

Draco nearly snorted at the thought. He cleared his throat instead, wincing for a moment as the dampness of the passageway irritated his windpipe.

He continued stiffly forward. He'd taken the rear by choice.

One, he knew regardless of what Theo had assured him, he would be foolish to walk straight into a room of people who viewed him as the enemy.

Two, he hurt.

His stamina really had gone to shit.

It was a deep ache in his limbs that went from the bone up to the muscles, making each of his movements stiff and something akin to pain shoot up his left side.

He supposed it was his own fault for rushing from one disastrous to another.

It didn't help matters that he'd scarcely been able to take a full breath.

He could feel Hermione's eyes on him, but he stubbornly refused to meet her gaze. She was walking slightly to his side, barely a step before him, like she was prepared to put herself between anyone who would come for him. It was a likely possibility after all.

He prayed for the hundredth time that wherever they were headed, they would think first and shoot later. Though, that was a foolhardy hope.

The tunnel seemed to widen then, and he caught Longbottom's stray words of the room providing this tunnel when they'd needed it.

He felt dread curl in the pit of his stomach. If they were headed to where he thought they were...well Potter better be able to get them to empty the room without giving everything away.

Word would travel once they got into the castle. Regardless of which side, people talked, and he could probably guarantee that they would be discovered.

Here's hoping that the Carrows hadn't been replaced or reinforced for that matter.

He leaned forward slightly, noticing the faintest bit of light beginning to flit across the floor of the tunnel. Longbottom knocked at the side of the wall and before he could react it had swung open and he was immediately overcome by the sound of a rather large crowd of people cheering.

He hesitated.

No matter what reaction he was given when he stepped out... He was still revealing himself. It was such a risk...such a risk to take so close to the end.  
He wouldn't be able to control what others would do with that knowledge. Every bit of himself rebelled at the thought.

Because it scared the shit out of him.

He blinked at the feel of slender fingers fit between his own to clasp his hand tight. He glanced down, and Hermione gave him a soft half smile. Her grip tightened and without a word she led the pair of them forward.

He stared in shock as they fully entered the room.

There were banners hanging from the ceiling, each decorated in and adorned with the house symbols.

Though, that wasn't the only thing hanging from the ceiling. There must have been hundreds of hammocks , no doubt for each of the hundreds of individuals that were currently gaping at the lot of them.

The cheering hushed as the pair of them stepped fully into view. Eyes immediately came to rest on him before flitting to focus on where Hermione's hand remained firmly grasping his.

"Is that Malfoy?" He heard someone whisper.

"I knew you weren't dead you prick bastard!"

He winced at the outburst and before he could blink a dark haired individual had flung herself at him hugging him tightly before pushing away and hitting him on the chest repeatedly.

"You fucking git." Pansy muttered, "Theo and Blaise kept telling me I was crazy, and you..Ugh. How could you!"

"Pans." He murmured catching her hands before she could hit him again. "I had my reasons and I would love to tell you about them." He inclined his head toward the hundreds of eyes on them, "But later."

Her eyes widened momentarily catching sight of Hermione behind him before her sharp gaze went to roam around the room around them.

"Right." She gave a stiff nod stepping back. "Granger." She inclined her head, repeating the motion to Potter and Weasley.

And then the silence once more.

"For fucks sake. The ferret's with us."

He snorted at that, and Weasley turned to him with an irritated frown on his face. "I'm defending you, you know."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Your public speaking leaves so much to be desired."

This time, Weasley scoffed, though when he turned away there was a small smile on his face.

At the strange display of camaraderie, the tension in the room seemed to ease.

He let out a breath, before his eyes seemed to drift to Potter. He nodded once, as though understanding Draco's silent request.

It would be now or never.

Potter took a breath before beginning to speak, "Guys we need your help…"

* * *

Hermione's heart raced as she watched the last member of Dumbledore's Army walk resolutely out of the Room of Requirement.

The young Ravenclaw couldn't have been more than a 4th year.

Goodness what had Hogwarts become in the months they'd been away? Every house had been represented within the modified Room of Requirement, though she suspected that the Slytherin presence had more to do with Draco's manipulation more than anything else. The numbers of students; however, was concerning. Each looked more worn and weary than the last with scars and injuries, some still fresh, on their faces.

War hadn't been far from Hogwarts after all.

Despite their rather eventful entrance, Harry had been able to clear the room in record time, but what to do with the hundreds of students was trickier. Having them all wait in the hall was begging for them to be discovered so soon.

Draco had been the one to think up a solution.

Well a solution in the loosest of terms.

"More than half these guys are underage, and I'm betting that there are hundreds more scattered among the dorms. We need to get them out."

So they'd sent them out to collect the other members of their houses and to begin leading the younger children out through the tunnels that ran all along the castle. Some of which, even she hadn't known about.

Slytherin privileges apparently.

He'd looked at Pansy and after they seemed to reach some silent understanding, Pansy had nodded. Theo was apparently already watching Ravenclaw, and Blaise was by Slytherin. They'd direct people where to go.

Now, they stood, the four of them, waiting until the last sound of footsteps disappeared.

She cleared her throat before stealing a glance at Draco, who'd suddenly grown incredibly pale.

She wondered if he was remembering their 6th year when he'd practically lived in this room.

"The Room of Hidden Things?"

Draco nodded stiffly, and he jerked to one side and began to pace.

She joined him and soon Harry and Ron followed.

He stopped at the end and opened the door slowly his wand already in his hand as they stepped forward.

"It was on an ugly statue…" she heard Draco murmur.

"I think it was in that corner." Harry muttered tilting his head to the right side of the room.

Her eyes scanned the room and for a moment she was overwhelmed with just how much stuff was littered all across the room.

How many generations of students had tossed things into this room and then forgotten them...or never had a chance to come back for it?

It was almost poetic.

To be brought full circle.

She found herself unconsciously following Draco, who while he'd followed Harry's idea to go to the right had instead taken the farther wall.

He seemed to be functioning on autopilot, and when he came to an abrupt stop she realized why.

It was not as large as she'd expected it to be having heard story after story about this infamous piece of furniture.

Yet…

It was about as tall as she was and could fit two people standing side by side had it still been intact.

The intricate cabinet was split down the middle, the two halves barely holding each other up.

The picture it made was dreary and the air around it was thick, heavy in magic.

Draco had his jaw clenched and his stance was so stiff she wouldn't have been surprised to see cracks from the strain of whatever burden was threatening his foundation.

"I'd heard they split it apart. Seeing it…" he took a breath before clearing his throat. "I'm relieved."

"It seems so long ago now."

He let out a huff. "Understatement of my entire life."

She was about to reply when Harry's voice rang out.

"I found it!"

Wordlessly, they crowded around and stared at the floating crown that Harry was leading before him.

It glinted in the light...beautiful. it was a shame that they would be destroying it.

If possible, she hated Voldemort more for that. How much history had they destroyed to finally be free of him?

Too much.

She bit her lip then as a thought suddenly dawned on her.

"We don't have the sword." she whispered.

Three heads turned sharply to her.

"I… I barely had time to grab anything when we apparated here, and I… I couldn't bear to keep it so close… It's in the other bag in my room at Fleur's." her voice cracked at the end.

She shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around her middle. It was had enough having to keep the sword close at all considering all that occured…

She shuddered as two arms cocooned her into an embrace. "It's alright." Draco murmured.

She pulled away and met his gaze, and he flashed her a wan smile in turn.

Draco sighed pulling away while keeping one arm slung over her shoulders.

"We would have needed a second way to destroy them anyway. Realistically we would to split up eventually with the snake left and the castle about to become a warzone." Draco murmured.

She tightened her grip around him at that thought. He was right if course, but the thought didn't sit well with her. Selfishly, she wanted to delay it as long as possible. Maybe then it wouldn't happen.

Childish, but one could hope.

Draco shut his eyes for a moment before letting out a breath and opening them.

"We could try fiendfyre." he said lowly.

She whirled around to face him.

"I know the spell and how to keep it contained." he continued.

"It's too much of a risk." she said. How could he even suggest it? Especially with his history.

For christ sake, he still had burns on his body from that childhood nightmare.

"What other choice do we have?" he murmured.

"The chamber."

She spun around to Ron, who flushed at the sudden attention.

"The basilisk is still in the Chamber. No one else is as bloody stupid to go down there. The fangs…"

"Still have venom! Oh Ron, you're a genius." She exclaimed.

Ron's flush deepened as he shrugged sheepishly.

"See, we don't… we don't need a fire." she said softly turning back to Draco. He smirked at her, no doubt, eager expression, though his eyes. Her breath caught. His look so tender, so fond. He was grateful for her interjection, even if he wasn't comfortable enough to voice it out loud.

"Right so we need…" Draco began before he stiffened, putting a finger to his lips to signal quiet.

She frowned, her wand suddenly out before her as she strained to hear whatever had caught Draco's attention.

After a breath, she heard it. Voices.

With barely a wrist movement, Draco cast a spell over her. She nearly stomped her feet in frustration as she was silenced and cloaked in magic. She turned and realized he'd done the same to Ron and Harry.

What was he doing?

"I'm telling you. I heard them in here. The rest left yammering about it." she stiffened at that.

She knew that voice. Barely, since the boy behind it had hardly ever spoken in her presence.

Draco had been the one to do all the talking then.

"Well if they were here, they've probably heard you now Goyle."

Draco shifted slightly, a weak spell suddenly drifting to cloak him as he huddled in the corner just as the two boys stepped into their view.

They looked awful.

And that wasn't just her biased opinion.

Goyle looked haggard and, dare she say, reluctant to be here. He'd also seemed to have dropped weight which became especially apparent in his face, now hollowed at the cheekbones.

Crabbe though. He looked menacing. He was also thinner, but he seemed to be buzzing with energy.

Like he was running on some high, with eyes wide and bright and a little too out of focus.

"They are here." Crabbe murmured, drawing his wand, "Homen-"

"Well look at that. You finally have a brain between the two of you."

Her breath caught as Draco broke the spell around him and stepped forward his old glamour fully in place.

The look on the two boy's faces was priceless. There was shock followed rapidly by horror, and in the case of Crabbe, suspicion.

"Malfoy." Crabbe said, his wand still out before him. "Thought you were dead."

Draco raised his hands out in front of him, as though to signal he meant no harm. "I'm sure most people wish I was." He said.

Crabbe shot him a doubtful look. He gestured his wand to Draco's outstretched hands. "That shit's not foolin' anyone. We both know you don't really need a wand to cast.."

Draco smirked, dropping his hands and shoving them into his pockets. "I'm hurt that you didn't accept my gesture of goodwill."

Crabbe snorted and even Goyle seemed to show some measure of disbelief at Draco's statement.

"You've been gone for months. What have you been doing?" Goyle finally spoke. She found it odd that his wand remained at his side. Still in plain sight, but not poised to cast.

Did he not perceive Draco as a threat or was he just unwilling to cast against someone he'd once thought of as a friend.

"I was given another mission for the cause." Draco said carefully, "I've been searching for some objects that will help end the war. It was easier to do it if everyone thought I was dead."

She marveled at Draco's audacity, to lie by using the truth. Or rather a truth that was somewhat shrouded in ambiguity. Her eyes shot from him over to the other two Slytherin boys.

Goyle seemed to be contemplating what Draco was saying, whereas Crabbe looked like he'd rather hex Draco and put him before Voldemort and ask questions later.

"You were executed. In front of witnesses, the Dark Lord made a spectacle out of it." Crabbe said.

Draco hung his head for a moment, as though to appear humbled. "And why shouldn't he? I failed him. I deserved the punishment."

She felt her heart twist at those words. He'd said them with such conviction that it made them seem true. And the idea that Draco could have deserved that dark curse that had been placed on him made her want to rage and weep.

It seemed his words had also affected Crabbe, whose wand dropped slightly. He turned to regard Goyle, speaking softly as they both debated what to do next.

Draco, seeing them occupied, swept his gaze to where she was still standing disillusioned.

His voice rung in her head. _You have to sneak out while I've got them distracted._

She protested, but before she could manage to send back a complete thought Draco had moved on, repeating the process where Harry and Ron were also hidden.

"We need proof." Crabbe said then, turning his attention back to Draco.

Draco nodded in understanding. "Of course, I'll show you. In fact, I'll even take you to where I know that so called Golden Trio is headed toward as we speak."

Crabbe seemed to perk up at that. "Alright, lead on then Malfoy."

Draco smirked, gesturing for Crabbe and Goyle to head before him toward the exit.

Had they done it? Had they really escaped detection.

She stepped forward carefully, taking care to avoid hitting anything as she walked toward the exit.

She could still here Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco's footsteps in front of her.

They were going to make it.

Or at least, she'd thought they were when a clang sounded behind her.

Shit.

"Liar." Crabbe shouted just as Goyle called out, "Homenum Revelio!"

She ducked as a spell immediately shot in her direction. She drew her wand just as her disillusionment spell broke and darted forward.

Draco. Draco. Draco.

She cast blindly a spell in the direction she knew the three were and ducked behind a mountain of junk as one sailed back in her direction.

"You're a traitor!" She heard Crabbe scream out.

She rounded the mountain and came up to Draco, a shield glimmering around him, dodging spells from Crabbe.

"You don't want to do this Vin." Draco called out, dodging another spell. His wand was out in his hand, but he didn't seem to be casting any spells in return.

"Of course I do." Crabbe retorted shooting another spell at Draco's shield in an attempt to break it.

"I'll be presenting a traitor to the Dark Lord and… " She froze as Crabbe seemed to realize she was there, "And the Mudblood!" He looked joyful at the thought, "I'll be rewarded. Praised like a hero."

He sent a spell in her direction just as Draco cast a shield over her. Seeing his actions, she sent an offensive spell in response, which she was surprised that Crabbe managed to dodge.

"And what then Vin? It will never be enough. He'll be pleased with you one minute and want to kill you the next. He doesn't care. He doesn't care about the noble houses or about purity. He wants power for himself. He'll kill anyone who opposes him." Draco shouted out right before he sent a spell that hurled Crabbe backwards.

The two seemed to transform then, sending spell after spell in each other's direction. Her eyes scanned the area, catching sight of where Harry and Ron had managed to corner Goyle.

"Let it go Crabbe! You're caught." Ron called out as he and Harry levitated a stunned and bound Goyle before them.

Crabbe stepped backwards, his back colliding with a mountain of rubbish behind him.

"No." He yelled out before his eyes gleamed suddenly, turning and focusing on Draco, "If I go down, I'm taking you with me."

Draco frowned at that just as Crabbe, casting faster than she ever thought possible, screamed out something in a language she vaguely recognized as Greek.

A shot of fire burst out from his wand, and she saw Draco take a few steps back.

At first, there seemed to be some order to the fire. It was circling, curling around them like a snake might it's prey. Then the flames seemed to grow, deviating from whatever path Crabbe had wanted from them. He screamed, this time clearly afraid at what he'd managed to unleash.

That's when it hit her.

Fiendfyre.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review. I always love hearing your thoughts! Some more action in this one. As always, review = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote by J K Rowling.

* * *

She couldn't breathe.

For a moment, she'd been able to see the edge of the flames and the beginning of the smoke. Now...now it was all just a swirl of fire.

She scrambled for a moment before a thought finally came to her. She murmured a spell and soon her head cleared and she found she could take a full breath without her lungs screaming in protest.

Modified bubble head charm.

She could have nearly laughed at the thought, but now wasn't the time.

She kept on blindly trying to head in the direction she recalled Draco had been. She was rewarded for her efforts when she eventually made him out dragging a still bound Goyle and scavenging through a mount of junk seemingly in search of something.

She ran toward him just as he dropped onto his knees bent over and coughing.

"Hey. Stay with me." She said as she slid before him and hastily cast the spell. He gasped, his head dropping onto her shoulder as he coughed in an attempt to clear whatever smoke was still staining his lungs.

"What were you looking for?" She said.

"Brooms. We need brooms to fly out of here." He managed, "Had one. Gave it to Potter."

"And they're looking for more too?"

He nodded, coughing again.

Well, at least that explained their absence.

She pulled them up to their feet and had just managed to levitate Goyle when Draco shoved her in front of him and swept her up in his arms.

"Draco!" She yelled out before she felt a figure collide with them, and she was transferred into another set of arms.

She screamed.

"Grab on 'Mione, just swing yourself over and sit on the broom. Stop fighting me."

She blinked, Ron's blue eyes darting from her to the room around her.

She relaxed and did as he asked

"Draco. We have to go back for -"

Ron steered the broom to the left rounding back. "Harry's got him." He shouted above the roar of the fire.

The fiendfyre.

"Ron. The diadem. We need to toss it into the fire."

The rest of her speech died in her throat as she saw Draco toss Goyle up to Harry, who was hovering above him.

She watched then as Harry tossed something back to Draco, who grabbed it and jumped back into the air, a broom growing in his hands as he came to hover beside Harry.

Ron brought them close so that they made for a makeshift triangle.

"The fire can destroy the diadem." She called out.

Harry's eyes widened and he scrambled for a moment before pulling it out, readying to toss it.

"Wait!" Draco shouted, "Not before we're in the clear. We don't know what it'll do."

They nodded, the boys turning the brooms toward the exit when a scream that made her blood run cold rang out above the roar of the flames.

Instinctively she tightened her grip against the broom handle. Draco shouted something she couldn't make out before swerving on the broom and heading straight back into the flames.

She shouted after him, and she made out Ron cursing behind her as he and Harry both darted after him.

"The fucker's going to get us killed for that piece of scum." Ron muttered.

She bit her tongue from offering back a scathing retort. She was too worried.

About getting out of here before the smoke consumed them.

About Draco.

Ron stopped them abruptly. She blinked, and her eyes found a horrifying scene before her.

Draco was half holding half fighting a screaming Crabbe.

"I can help you Vin!" She heard Draco shout.

Crabbe shouted something, punching and pulling the broom to swing out from beneath them. Draco, seemingly anticipating it, managed to keep his legs tight around it half hanging on and half off as he kept his grip on Crabbe.

"I won't be a traitor. I won't be a prisoner." Crabbe screamed jolting once more.

"No! Draco." She yelled just as Crabbe managed to free himself from Draco's grip, screaming as he fell straight into the fire beneath them.

Draco seemed to go limp for a minute, in shock as his own grip seemed to slip on the broom.

"Draco." She screamed out, her vision momentarily blinded as Ron flew them away from a growing flame.

At her voice, he seemed to stiffen, swinging himself back to sit right on the broom. Then, as though in agreement, she felt Ron steer the broom around with Draco following close behind.

She couldn't really say how long it took them to finally make it to the end of the room and fly through the door, Harry tossing the diadem behind him just as the door shut on the room.

She couldn't say she really even registered anything except her feet hitting the ground and running straight into Draco's arms not minding the thick smell of smoke or the heaviness of his weight as he went nearly limp in her arms.

"He's dead." Draco murmured low enough for only her to hear, "He's dead. He's dead. He's dead."

She didn't say anything, not sure if she could manage any sort of sympathy for Vincent Crabbe after all he'd managed to do to them. But Draco...Draco had memories of Crabbe from before now, before Hogwarts. He had known someone else.

She couldn't offer him verbal comfort, so she simply tightened her grip in response, letting him shake and gasp in her arms as he worked to slowly pull himself together and catch his breath.

They stood like that without interruption when Draco seemed to finally stand straighter, hugging her tight to his chest before he let go and stepped toward where Goyle was laying flat on the floor frozen before them.

With a flick of his wrist, Draco cancelled the spell, pulling his wand out as Goyle managed to drag himself up to sit.

"You don't want to fight Greg." Draco said lowly, his voice scratching against his throat as he painfully forced out his words. "You never did."

She watched as Goyle, eyes wide and clearly frightened, dragged himself up to stand and face Draco.

The two seemed caught in some sort of silent conversation before Goyle nodded stiffly.

Draco was staring him down with such anger behind his eyes, air thick from magic she instinctively knew was his. His gaze was heavy and it made her think that somewhere along the way, he'd slipped into Goyle's mind already planting seeds to force his point across.

She should have felt some sort of indignation at the action, at the violation of Goyle's mind, maybe even unease at the way Draco could topple mental barriers and exert his influence without breaking a sweat.

She didn't.

Even if Draco influenced Goyle, he would be doing so to save the other's life. It was more than what she would have done in the situation.

"They're sending the children through the tunnels to escape." Draco said, still struggling to speak against the tightness of his airways. He didn't continue, but his message was clear enough.

Goyle looked grateful for a moment tilting his head in a nod before turning on his heel and running down the hall.

She turned back to Draco who looked lost for a moment and without a word walked toward him and let her arm curl around his waist as she pulled herself close to his side.

She saw Harry open his mouth to speak when a silvery horse shot down the hall straight at him vanishing almost immediately as it collided with Harry.

He blinked and turned to the rest of them.

"They're all in the Great Hall."

* * *

Draco shuddered as he stifled another wheeze. He could feel Hermione watching him sharply looking for any sign that she should interfere.

He was barely managing to get half a breathless of air into his lungs, and he didn't dare stop for a moment to fully try or bring out any medicine.

They had to get to the Great Hall without first running into any unwanted company, because even if Snape was technically in charge here, he couldn't help them.

Not without exposing himself, and that could not happen.

He put a hand to his chest, slowly letting it drop to his side as he wordlessly cast a minor healing spell to close the cuts at his side.

He'd give Crabbe some credit. The bastard had always been good at cutting hexes.

This version certainly packed a punch. To properly heal it, he needed time and a lot more magic than he was willing to spend at the moment.

They rounded a corner, pausing just long enough for him to close his eyes and force a full breath into his throat.

And remember.

Crabbe may have not been the best of friends, but he had had his moments. He'd covered for him more times than he could count, without prompting...without questions about why he looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Why sometimes he woke up screaming, even before he had a more recent reason to do so.

A decade and all he had to show for it was another scar on his side and another memory to haunt him at night.

Good gods, couldn't that asshole have listened once more instead of deciding to be a corrupted rebel.

He blinked his eyes open.

They were close to the hall now. He could see the doors at the end of this corridor.

He pushed himself off the wall before he froze, the hairs at the nape of his head standing straight.

He lingered behind as he watched Potter and Weasley dart forward toward the door before pausing and looking back at him in question.

He tilted his head slightly, hoping they would understand not to speak.

 _Keep going. Slowly._

He tightened his fist at the drain he felt at sending the message out.

Potter kept his head down, slowing his pace.

Weasley not far behind.

Hermione though..she kept to his side.

He held his breath for a second, waiting, murmuring a few spells under his breath before he swerved to his side, nearly hitting the wall as he darted back and blindly reached out into the air.

He allowed himself a smirk when he felt his arm wrap around a body.

Another spell, and the invisibility charm broke.

He tightened his grip around the man's throat, sending a shock to him so that he fell to his knees.

"Hello Amycus." He said, digging his wand right beneath the other's chin.

He stunned him when he felt Amycus begin to struggle under his grasp.

His eyes briefly swept the area, and he caught Hermione's gaze for a moment.

 _Be ready._

"Alecto." He called out, "Come out. I'm in a mood, and I wouldn't want your darling brother to bear the brunt of it."

He caught the barest hint of movement to his right, and as though reading his thoughts, Hermione immediately turned and sent out a stunner and a second spell in quick succession.

A shriek echoed and immediately Potter and Weasley were at Hermione's side surrounding a prone and bound Alecto Carrow.

He let out a breath shoving Amycus to the ground and stepping on his hand to loosen his grip from his wand, sticking it into the holster he had at his side.

"Gods how I hate you all." He muttered before flicking his wand and tying up Carrow.

He turned to the others and with a thin smile he spoke. "Well I guess we're bringing them a present."

* * *

When they entered the Great Hall, they were surrounded by instant chaos. Hermione scarcely knew where to look.

There were still hundreds of students filling the room looking every bit ready to fight, and members of the Order were interspersed between them trying to establish some sort of organization to the madness. Then…

Well, one look at the two Carrows and two things happened at once.

First, the students, at the sight of the Death Eaters tied up, began to cheer. This was immediately followed up by both a horde of professors and members of the Order immediately rushing towards them firing out questions and taking the Carrows away.

No doubt to detain them somewhere else.

"How in Merlin did you three manage to get inside the castle without detection and capture these two?" Remus said, McGonagall at his side.

"Neville led us in." Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders as though the whole ordeal hadn't nearly cost them their lives not once but twice.

She bit her lip to keep from snorting. It was such a Ron thing to do.

"And then we were heading here when Draco…" She trailed off, stiffening as she realized he was no longer standing beside her. She looked around frantically searching for his blonde head when she found it.

Draco was standing before the Slytherin students, his arms at his sides with his wand nowhere in sight.

It seemed others had noticed the standoff as well as the hum of voices that had been chattering around them seemed to fade to silence. Each holding their breaths to see if the so called Slytherin Prince was going to be re-accepted by his people.

Quietly she inched closer and out the corner of her eyes she saw Sirius, having not bothered to glamour his appearance, do the same.

She hoped that Sirius wouldn't draw attention to himself. They hardly needed that on top of everything else going on.

Her gaze flickered back toward Draco, who still hadn't moved an inch watching as a few figures stepped forward from the mass of students behind them.

She recognized Blaise and Theo. Blaise, seemingly the more bold of the two, walked to Draco and extending a hand in front of him mouthed something she couldn't quite make out.

The corner of Draco's mouth quirked up and the two reached out and gripped the other's forearm in some sort of greeting.

She walked close enough to hear as Draco repeated the gesture with Theo.

He turned then staring out at the rest of his Slytherin housemates, letting out a breath. He was going to speak, and she wondered where on earth would he begin. His supposed death and disappearance, or would he simply explain what was about to happen to all of them, hoping it would be enough to force some to turn sides?

"I don't know how many of you would even still listen to me now." He began, "But I'd like to think all of you are at least curious enough to hear what I have to say."

He turned, sweeping his gaze the mass of students.

"I'm not going to ask you to fight. I know many of you don't want to because you're afraid of just who might be behind the mask if you manage to make it across the battlefield. I would never ask that of anyone. It wouldn't be right."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as each person in the room held their breath waiting for what else Draco would say.

"But I also know that most of you, beneath that cool and collected exterior and guarded thoughts, want to fight. I know that even more of you are content to just say the right things if it gives you chance to get out on that field and run toward the other side."

"You were on the other side. What do you care what we do now?"

She couldn't make out where the voice had come from. If Draco could either, he didn't show it. He pursed his lips together as he thought for a moment.

"You're right." Draco finally spoke, "I've seen both sides, and I'm the only one who can tell you about what life would be like if the Dark Lord won."

"He doesn't care about you." he continued, "He doesn't care about any of you. You are his pieces to move across the board, and with him you'll live life wondering if during his next bout of anger you'll take your last breath.

He doesn't care about your family legacy, and he has wielded blood purity as a tool to manipulate his supporters. It all doesn't matter to him."

Draco took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them and seemed to focus on one particular student in the crowd.

"I am a Malfoy, and I am a Black." Draco said fiercely, "And I am no one's servant. This so called Dark _Lord_ doesn't even have the pedigree to polish my silverware. I will not live my life waiting for when he decides to murder me, and I refuse to fall for the lie that all blood doesn't bleed red."

He shuddered, his voice dropping as he finished speaking. "The world I want, the traditions I value, are not on the other side." He took a breath, "I have played the game, and now I must change it."

She saw recognition amongst the other Slytherins, a few even mouthing the phrase back to Draco. Across the room, Sirius was doing his very best to hide his own pride beneath a blank expression.

"Leave if you don't think you can fight on this side, but at least bring out your personal potion stashes and leave it for the Infirmary." Draco said with a smirk, "At least 10 of you have a decent one stashed in that loose glass on the right wall by the mermaid window."

A few shuffled their feet sheepishly at that, and the tension that had been hanging in the air seemed to dissipate at Draco's quip.

It was overwhelmingly obvious that the majority of Slytherins had re-accepted Draco as one of their own. With that, she could only hope that they had managed to shift the odds a little more in their favor.

* * *

There was starting to be a method to the madness so to speak. McGonagall and a few other members of the Order had gone to activate the ancient protections around the castle, and even more had gone to secure the tunnels that students were still being evacuated out of.

Pomfrey had been scuttling between the Infirmary and the Great Hall, setting up small posts and assigning any students that were halfway decent at healing charms to man one of the posts.

Most were Slytherins.

It gave him a sense of satisfaction that he'd managed to reach some of them and prompt a halfway change of heart. Of course there were also those loyal to him that would stay and actually fight.

Though, for now, they were still guiding children out.

He sighed in frustration at having to sit still.

After his rather long monologue, he'd been nearly ambushed by both his friends, his father, and Hermione.

It wasn't long before one of them noticed that blood was seeping through the side of his shirt.

He smirked as he recalled Hermione's clear frustration with him.

"Idiot. Just waiting to bleed out in between his bleeding speeches and-" She'd muttered before running for Pomfrey. He'd found it quite endearing, and his heart swelled, as it always did, when she confirmed that she did in fact care for him.

Love him.

Merlin.

It was a dangerous and electrifying thought that he would have to fully confront when all of this was over, because he was sure that he would never be able to give her up.

He'd told her as much, and if they survived the night, he'd be reminding her of that fact.

He let out a breath, wincing at the harshness of his throat that was still sore and scorched from the fire in the Room of Requirement.

They'd been in Hogwarts for 2 hours now, and the time was approaching 4 in the morning. He wondered if it would still be night before the fighting broke out, or if they'd meet Voldemort at daybreak.

Both were rather poetic in their own way.

He scanned the room, keeping the compress Pomfrey had given him at his side. He had another few minutes before he would be allowed to move, but until then he had been charged with making sure that Potter stayed within the Great Hall.

They'd all agreed that getting the basilisk fangs was a priority. Now though, with all of them suddenly surrounded by watchful eyes, it was virtually impossible for all of them to sneak away.

In the end, it was better if Potter stayed within the hall. He was the Order's primary focus, and with the castle gearing up for an attack and Voldemort on his way. it would be better if he weren't out in the open available for any sympathizer to snatch up and hand over to the other side.

So, Ron and Hermione had gone to the chamber, and he'd scarcely been able to keep his mind clear since then.

"You look like you're about ready to bolt."

He straightened at the voice, watching out of the corner of his eye as Blaise took a seat beside him.

"You know how impatient I can be." He said keeping his eyes trained on Potter, who was now talking with Sirius at the opposite side of the hall.

Blaise followed his gaze. "You know it's uncanny really." He cleared his throat, "How much you resemble each other."

He turned briefly back to face his friend, a brow raised.

"It's Sirius Black, isn't it?" Blaise questioned.

He recognized the look on Blaise's face instantly. Any other time, he might have entertained the other's suspicious, but now was not the time. He was going to pick the battles he fought today, and a verbal sparring match with Zabini did not seem like a good use of his energy or time.

Besides, the information was still dangerous knowledge. If Blaise were captured…

He quickly pushed the thought from his mind.

"We are related you know." He finally said, removing the compress from his side and placing it beside him.

Blaise hummed in response, recognizing his answer for what it was.

A dismissal.

"I'm surprised you're as calm as you are with your girlfriend out and about."

He resisted the urge to wince, wondering how far Blaise was willing to push for a reaction from him.

"I know where she's going." He answered evenly.

Blaise smirked, "And with Weasel no less."

He shook his head. "Goddammit Blaise, I'm dying here waiting is that what you want to know?" He hissed out of the corner of his mouth, focusing on keeping the rest of his body language neutral and relaxed.

Blaise's smirk widened, though his eyes grew soft for a moment.

"Just making sure you're still in there. That you aren't getting lost in your mind and forgetting."

"I couldn't even if I wanted."

Blaise nodded, his smirk turning into a crooked smile as he tilted his head to the side just enough for him tor him to recognize the gesture.

His eyes followed in that direction, and he nearly collapsed in relief at the sight of Hermione's dark curls coming into view.

He stood quickly.

She turned then, as though sensing his eyes on her. She caught his gaze, smiling as she rushed to him.

She swung her arms to wrap around his neck, forcing him to bend down and bury his face in the crook of her own neck. Without a single thought, he wrapped her up in his own arms to pull her even closer.

"We got them." She whispered into his ear before pulling away, her expression showing no signs of what had just transpired.

He felt strangely proud at her unique display of sneakiness.

"You were gone forever." he murmured barely moving his lips as he kept an arm around her waist.

"We stopped by the kitchens. We recruited the elves." she answered in reply.

He nearly laughed out loud at her look of satisfaction, but settled for a rather restrained smile and gripping her tight to his side.

He looked above the top of her head, nodding at Weasley who had joined Potter in walking over to them.

The pair had just about reached them when the castle shook beneath their feet. Potter's face twisted in pain as a hand came up to his forehead.

He felt his own gut twist and even the scar at his arm throbbed. He knew, instinctively, what was coming.

A loud hiss echoed through the hall, and somehow, he knew the sound was audible all across the castle grounds.

 _"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile."_

Draco shivered at the voice. He felt Hermione stiffen in his arms as the noise around them hushed.

" _You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until daybreak."_


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review! They always make my day. The end is in sight, but we've still got some action to go! As always, Review! Review! Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

He barely thought as he and those around him; Hermione, Weasley, even Blaise, suddenly flanked Potter.

The irony wasn't lost on Draco.

There had been countless of other situations where he would have gladly left Potter to fight his own battles. Now though, aside from his vested interest in Potter's immediate survival...well, he wasn't all that bad.

They weren't really friends, but they had fought together now. There was a certain measure of respect between them after all that had occurred starting from when he had revealed himself back those many months ago at Grimmauld Place.

Still though. Who would have thought?

He scanned the room as the message faded. No one had moved an inch from where they were standing. Frankly, he doubted they would.

"Right." McGonagall said, her wand out before her. "With that settled, we must secure the castle wards."

The tension in the air seemed to fade as the professors' began to issue orders, groups heading to the various corners of the castle to secure the older wards that lay along the school grounds.

He lowered his wand an inch, and he saw the others around him do the same.

His eyes briefly met Sirius's as they waited for the remaining Order members to assign them to a wing.

His gut clenched with the simple need to acknowledge the other, but it wasn't the time.

Not yet anyway.

He tore his eyes away quickly, focusing instead on the broken groups being led by professors. McGonagall was about to turn away with Flitwick at her side when the castle began to shake beneath their feet.

He braced himself, blindly reaching and taking hold of Hermione by the arm when he saw her begin to stumble.

It went on like that for a few minutes before the shaking seemed to cease abruptly.

It had been a demonstration afterall, and Voldemort had his theatrics to maintain.

What better way to sow fear than to literally rattle the ground they stood on?

He turned to Potter whose face was scrunched up in concentration, eyes closed, with a hand rubbing at his scar.

"Harry?" Hermione asked him gently, reaching out and touching him lightly on the shoulder.

Potter let out a breath, dropping his hand as he blinked to look at them.

"They're here. They're at the edge of the forest."

Whispering erupted around them, and McGonagall's face hardened. "We secure the castle now, and take care," She turned to take in the crowd around them, "The Headmaster is still among us."

He held his breath.

Snape.

Potter frowned and moved to follow McGonagall.

Draco shook his head, tearing himself away from his thoughts, before moving to step right in the way of his path.

"Stop." He said, staring Potter down.

"She issued an open invitation against Snape." Potter said, as though that were explanation enough for his need to follow.

"She had too. Maintain his cover."

"He's your godfather."

"And I know him a lot better than you do." Draco snapped in return, feeling his temper flare. "He won't confront anyone but McGonagall."

"Don't you want to make sure he's safe?" Harry retorted.

He tightened his fists, silently reminding himself that swinging at Potter right now would do him no favors. Fuck if he didn't want too.

Didn't he realize that keeping away would keep Snape safer? If the man caught them, what would he be able to do without somehow risking his cover?

Especially with the Dark Lord's uncanny habit of looking into someone's mind unbidden.

Even still, he could feel his own resolve crumbling under Potter's insistence. He was right afterall. Snape was his godfather, and the man had stood by him through everything. From his childhood to his discovery of his parentage to his falling into the dark he had so wanted to see burn.

He owed a lot to Snape. He would never willingly abandon him.

"We have to get into position anyway. They're going to start attacking the castle. They're already fighting in the Forbidden Forest." Potter said, dropping his voice low.

He bit the inside of his cheek, turning away from Potter. Without realizing it, his eyes searched until they settled on Hermione.

She was watching him, waiting for his answer but upon seeing his questioning look, her face softened.

It was his call, he could tell she would follow no matter what.

 _We would be careful._

He let out a breath. He turned to Blaise, who was still standing at their periphery.

"Take Pansy and Theo and head toward the dungeons, keep students from being seen by him and when the fighting starts collapse the passages. We don't want anyone sneaking in the way we've snuck people out."

Blaise nodded, something else still lingering on his face. " We'll meet you in the middle when it starts." he toyed with his wand before tightening his grip so that he held it steady at his side. "Keep safe will ya."

Draco jerked his head in a nod before he allowed a wan smile to stretch at his mouth. "You know me. I don't actually have a death wish." he said lowly.

Blaise's mouth twitched at his familiar words before inclining his head and turning on his heel to head to Theo and Pansy.

"Right." he let out a breath, "Under the cloak." He barely blinked at the fierce glare that Potter shot at him in response.

"What do you think Snape will have to do if he sees you?" he said bluntly, "Keep out of sight."

"And you?"

"I can manage my own cover."

Seeing that he couldn't argue with that logic, Potter slipped the cloak over his head and they all headed in the direction McGonagall had gone.

He could feel the castle shaking as magic began to thicken the air.

The wards had activated.

It seemed just in time too.

Occasionally loud crashes coupled with trembling through the walls resounded through the stone foundation.

He turned his head to glance through a stray window as they continued trailing the professor.

The sky was alight in spells that were being hurled and colliding with the shield glimmering around the castle.

The wards hadn't been breached yet then.

Briefly, he wondered how long they'd have until they did inevitably fail when he felt someone grab him by the sleeve and shove him into a shadow behind a statue.

Hermione put a finger to his lips when he made to speak, tilting her head to the side.

Wordlessly, he cast a spell around them as he strained his neck to see what had alerted her.

He made out McGonagall's back, but beyond her was a figure in familiar black robes.

So they'd already stumbled on them.

"What are you doing out Minerva?"

"Preparing Hogwarts for the battle that's been brought to the castle." She replied tersely.

He saw the two stare at one another, each beginning to pace around the other.

They would put on a show. That was certain.

"Potter. Have you seen Potter on the grounds?" Snape asked.

He felt Hermione stiffen beside him. It didn't matter that they both knew that Snape had no want to toss Potter before the Dark Lord. The inquiry though, said with such a cool and even tone, calculated, still sent chills down his spine.

"If he is on the grounds," McGonagall began cautiously, "I have no idea where he is now."

She took a step forward.

"Severus." She said softly, "What have you brought to Hogwarts?"

For a moment, all signs of a cool aloof air faded from Snape's face, replaced with a tight twisting pain that pulled at his features. His grip seemed to tighten on his wand, and with that action his face hardened once more.

Seeing it, McGonagall slashed her wand through the air.

Snape darted away quickly as she directed a torch from the wall to dissolve in a ring of fire around them.

He instinctively took a step back, feeling Hermione's arms come to wrap around his waist in a comforting manner. He wished she wouldn't, she needed a hand free for her wand, but selfishly, he was glad for it.

He watched on, a measure of awe as he saw the two dance around one another, spell after spell quick to soar toward the other.

It was strangely beautiful to watch.

The flames became a large snake, dissolving into knives that soared through the air only to meet a suit of armor.

He perked up at the sudden sound of footsteps growing louder as figures rushed to join McGonagall.

He made out Flitwick scream something out at his godfather, a spell flying from his wand.

His heart raced.

Flitwick had no idea of Snape's role, if he…

Snape quickly dodged, his eyes darting around them quickly before suddenly he spun, a dark cloud covering him as he seemed to spin toward a window and falling out of it.

Numbly, he stepped out from their hiding place just as Harry tore the cloak off his and Ron's shoulders.

He made out McGonagall's stray comment of Snape's hidden talents, but he hardly registered it. He walked to the window, already knowing he wouldn't see a broken body at the bottom, but still needing to make sure.

He leaned over the stone window sill and glanced down at the ground below.

"He made it out Draco." He heard Hermione murmur in his ear, her hand coming to cover his as she joined him. "He made it out." She repeated, "Now if we want to see him at the end of this, we've got to keep moving."

He shuddered stepping away from the window.

He kept his hand firm in hers, he tightened his grip for a moment. Then, together, hand in hand, they followed the others.

The west side had been breached.

* * *

And war makes savages of us all.

Is that how it went? She wasn't sure anymore. She could hear words and words of war from books she'd once read while huddled in a corner a throw blanket over her shoulders.

How foolish. It was such a pale comparison to the real thing.

They'd fled that corridor, running and running as hundreds of suits of armors were given life, rushing to defend the castle.

The grounds were lit with spells and fires as the Death Eaters waged war against the giants and other creatures of the forest that had rallied to defend the school.

The suits had joined and every once in a while Professor Sprout would direct student to hurl another set of terrifying plants or concoctions toward the other side.

It had been a steady plan, but as more of the grounds were destroyed in the advance...the situation seemed like a standstill of destruction. Neither side really winning, but both surely losing.

Until the wards broke.

They been struck hard on three sides, the stone of the walls cracking and in places shattering with the force of the spells the opposition had hurled at them.

Quite simply, they had been overrun.

Of course, they had fought back.

Draco had somehow found himself in the lead of their little group.

Really it was only natural.

He had a fierce understanding of the Death Eater's.

Their spells.

Their strategies.

He knew them all and used them against them without mercy.

She'd seen him fight before back at the wedding, against individuals on the occasion they'd run into them, but here in the chaos of war...he seemed inhuman.

He had a way of seeing things before they would occur, a spell already in mind on the tip of his tongue.

Legilimency.

She ducked as a spell shot over her head before she felt a hand grab her and pull her close.

"Blimey Mione open your eyes."

She blinked meeting Ron's eyes, Harry not far behind. She turned her head, realizing they'd pulled her beneath the cloak.

They began walking forward, shooting spells as they went with no one able to shoot any back in response.

Afterall, you can't fight what you can't see.

"Draco?" she turned and asked when they'd finally stopped a moment.

Ron shrugged.

"When we got cut off he ran off in the other direction. Haven't seen him since."

She nodded as they hastily threw the cloak back over their heads at the sound of spells being cast and bounding footsteps.

They ducked to the side as a trail of smoke seemed to shoot past them. As the smoke cleared, she made out two redheads dueling two masked Death Eaters.

Fred was easy to make out. The other… Percy?

Ron threw the cloak off them, immediately sending a hex to the Death Eater who had nearly cornered Percy.

The man flew backward and his hood fell from his head.

At the sight, Percy seemed to dissolve into laughter before shooting a spell that sent his former boss slamming into the wall.

Without a second thought, she added a spell to tie the man up and knocked him out in quick succession.

She turned back and found herself in between a rather good humored Weasley reunion.

Ron was grinning ear to ear, preening under the praise he seemed to be receiving from his older brothers.

Harry seemed slightly anxious, his eyes darting side to side...as though waiting for something.

His eyes met hers, and for a moment she seemed to understand exactly what he wanted but seemed unsure how to say.

"We should keep moving-" she began when another set of footsteps began pounding closer and closer.

"Move. Move!" A voice called out, a flash of blonde ramming into them as the figure whirled, throwing a shield around them right before a blast tore through the wall to their right.

Even with the shield, she felt her body twist and slam against the opposing wall. She fell against the shield, momentarily seeing stars and trying to blink her vision back into focus.

She coughed at the rubble swirling about them, the shield flickering before fading away from around them.

She jumped up onto her feet, her wand before her poised to strike at the figure not a foot before her.

Her vision sharpened, and her outstretched hand sagged with relief.

"Draco." she murmured before running and throwing her arms around his neck. She pulled slightly away, though keeping her arms still around him.

"Thank Merlin." she continued as he grinned before pressing a kiss to her temple.

Without answering, he turned with his wand before him seemingly searching for something.

He relaxed at the sight of the prone figure tossed to the side.

"Tough bastard." he muttered, a flash of anger knitting his brows together.

She held his arm back when he made to go forward. The look on his face unsettling and too full of murderous intent for her to allow him to have his way with a defenseless enemy.

She flicked her wand and ropes tightened around the figure.

He half turned toward her, a brow raised as he regarded her.

"He's unconscious. Leave him." she said firmly.

His eyes narrowed before he flicked his own wand in response, modifying her spell slightly.

Probably strengthening it.

"Better than he deserves." Draco sneered, "Rockwood's certainly never shown mercy.'

Instinctively, she knew there was a story behind that sentiment. Now though was not the time.

"Hermione!"

They both turned, rushing toward where Ron and Harry were fretting over an unconscious Percy. Her eyes drifted to the side, noticing that though Fred was still conscious, his pant leg was rapidly reddening from where he was still crouched with a bolder holding him upright.

"Go to Fred." She said to Draco, who paled at her unspoken request. To his credit, he didn't protest.

He rushed to the other and immediately began tearing at the cloth to get a better look at the wound.

She pushed Harry and Ron to the side and quickly began casting over Percy's body.

It wasn't long before Draco joined her. He sat back for a moment.

"He needs the infirmary." he said before jerking his head toward Fred. "And so does he. I've stopped the blood, and closed the wound, but the spell damage…"

He pressed his lips into a thin line, not deigning to continue.

She let out a breath, before standing slowly and levitating Percy's body.

"Then we go back to the Great Hall."

* * *

It was a somber, but relatively quick walk back to the Great Hall.

Strange, how they hadn't run into any more Death Eaters.

It worried Draco, but he figured for now he would only enjoy the respite instead of trying to analyze it.

Enjoy; though, was probably not the right word to use.

They each needed the quiet to themselves. The Weasley brothers were in some sort of state of panic that was silently being swallowed down to keep them both focused on simply taking one step and then another.

Potter was much the same. Every once and awhile, he'd notice the other crumple his face in concentration. It was a look he knew well enough to recognize.

Potter was trying to reach out and invade the Dark Lord's mind.

He almost spoke up to dissuade the action, but quickly abandoned the thought.

Potter hardy seemed to be getting anywhere for him to be worried about the Dark Lord manipulating him in turn.

He shuddered at that.

The night wasn't even halfway through, and he already felt that the situation was incredibly bleak.

The castle was in tatters, a maze of rubble and stone with dust mixed in between. He'd been running through much of the wreckage when he'd gotten separated from the rest.

He'd seen pairs fighting to take down a single Death Eater, and more than a few Death Eaters making easy work of the stray resistance members they met along the way.

It was that worry coupled with a flair of unrestrained anger at the memories he'd recalled when he'd made out Rockwood in the crowd.

The bastard had been nothing but a skilled duelist, which were a dime a dozen, before the Dark Lord.

He'd gotten cocky; though, when the snake had moved into the Manor. Emboldened by the precarious position of a noble family with his own much more stable, he'd acted out.

He'd been rough with Narcissa once…

His fist clenched, and of course he'd gone to her aid...but Rockwood, it seemed, didn't care who or what was between him.

He settled for just about any warm body. Though Draco had certainly made himself clear on the matter. Rockwood hadn't been able to sit for weeks.

It had been a temporary satisfaction, but now, he was at least somewhat appeased with the thought that Rockwood would be easy pickings for whatever stray Order member happened upon him now.

Good.

He held back as he watched the Weasley's rush forward and huddle together around Percy and setting Fred to rest on the side.

He made out Pomfrey joining them and casting her own practiced spells upon Percy.

He looked away quickly, feeling a soft grip settle around his elbow.

"He's alive. It'll be fine." Hermione murmured.

He shook his head. "He needs some place like Mungo's. He can't stay here like this."

His eyes briefly strayed from the family to take in the same scene countlessly replicated all across the Great Hall. So many people. So many injured amd not enough resources to take care of half of them.

He blinked and met her eyes once more before dropping them to stare at their entwined hands.

Hermione nodded stiffly, saying nothing as they both drifted toward Potter who was lingering before the sight of the Weasley family. He was pale, his hands shaking with his face pinched in that familiar concentration.

Hermione, seeing his hands, took one into her free one so that the three of them now stood linked arm and arm.

It must have been ten minutes they stood like that before Ron joined them.

"Let's go. I want to get my hands on some Death Eaters."

Hermione frowned, "Don't Ron. Don't forget what we're here to do. You could kill a hundred Death Eaters, but it won't matter if we don't," Her voice dropped. "If we don't get all the horcruxes. We're the only ones who can end it."

Ron's face flushed with his anger before he nodded to signal his assent.

"Harry?" Hermione turned to Potter with a questioning look.

"He's at the shack with the snake...he's called for Snape."

He felt his heart rate quicken at that.

"So to the Shrieking Shack." He said lowly as the lot of them slowly inched out of the hall and back to the castle corridors. He inclined his head and turned on his heel to signal the others to follow him.

Voldemort tucked away from the battle with the snake firmly at his side didn't sit well with him.

And calling for Snape…

His wand hummed in his hand.

Well, that especially unsettled him.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Just one more chapter before the end. It's been so amazing writing this story, and thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through it. I'm also toying with the idea of adding and epilogue. Let me know what you guys think! As always, Review = love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quotes from JK Rowling.

* * *

It was a mad rush to the Shrieking Shack, or maybe it was the adrenaline high that had swept over them as the four had dashed through Hogwarts.

Though, perhaps dashed was not the word Hermione should use.

They had walked through disaster after disaster.

Walls shaking and exploding.

Spiders from the Forbidden Forest making their way through the castle to join the fight.

It was pure chaos around them. Plain and simple.

It had been better, when she'd finally come to her senses and suggested they use the cloak and cast that particular brand of disillusionment spells that Draco knew.

No one else had really been thinking, merely reacting to every obstacle in their way. Each had their thoughts clouding their sense.

Each seemed to have a goal.

Ron wanted damage. His family foundation had cracked, in danger of faltering, so he responded as he knew how - lashing out.

Even beneath the cloak, he shot spell after spell toward any Death Eater they came across.

She didn't blame him. When she'd seen Greyback, she hadn't thought at all. It had been one angry swish of her wand, and the monster had flown toward the boulders of a broken wall with his bones cracking on impact.

She hoped she'd killed him.

Harry, on the other hand, wasn't seeking violence. He had his destination in mind, and his whole focus was on reaching there. She would see him force his connection with Voldemort, trying to see anything before withdrawing. Each time, he seemed both more fierce in his pursuit as well as bleak.

He was starting to come to some sort of realization, and whatever it was it made her very core shake.

Then there was Draco.

He seemed somewhere between possessed by his determination and some tattered remains of a soul pushing forward based on will alone.

Yet, despite his exhaustion his wand never wavered.

His spells still sharp.

His eyes quick to take in the world around them, even as his thoughts drew him inward.

He was afraid.

Not for himself, but for each of the people he cared for.

Right now, she knew, Snape was occupying his thoughts.

And of course, she couldn't blame him.

Everything about it made her heart hurt, and she didn't think it could hurt or break any further until she caught him stiffen as some quivering tremor ran through him.

It was barely discernible, but being so close to him, she could feel him as he shook with the force of either remnants of torture or some triggered memory.

Merlin.

War was a merciless bitch.

She gripped Draco's arm tight as they moved forward, the shack coming into view.

Just as Draco worried, she worried too.

Could she live in a world without

Harry

Or Ron

Or the other Weasley's?

Tonks

Sirius

Remus

Draco.

Could she live in a world without Draco?

She didn't want to even entertain such a possibility.

Her grip tightened around his arm.

She didn't think he would be rash now, but in the height of emotion, she didn't want to risk him darting forward to intervene and accidentally revealing them all.

They waited a moment outside the shack as a dark figure came into view and quickly disappeared inside.

Snape.

Slowly, they stepped forward, entering with the trail of Snape's robes still in view.

"You asked for me my lord." Snape said as he bowed his head in acknowledgment toward the figure that stood still with his back to them.

She let her eyes sweep around the shack. It looked much the same as it had when she'd been here with Draco.

It seemed it had remained relatively untouched by the battle raging on outside of it.

She paused as she caught sight on Nagini curled up a foot beside her master. She squinted slightly, noticing a shimmer around its scales.

Was it a ward?

She felt Draco straightened beside her as the dark figure turned affording her her first glimpse of Voldemort up close.

She barely restrained a shiver as she took in the colorless face and narrowed cool eyes.

He didn't look human, and frankly, where it not for his movements and the strong wave of magic that seemed to radiate from him, she would have thought he was some decaying corpse.

Really, that wasn't far from the truth.

"Severus." he hissed in greeting before turning and idly pacing closer.

"It is dragging longer than I expected." Voldemort continued, "So much blood lost. So much magical blood. It is a shame."

Hermione resisted the urge to sweep forward and cast on him herself.

He didn't care about those who'd been slain.

It made her stomach churn, begging to retch, as took in how utterly unbothered he was. Like it was an inconvenience and nothing more.

Snape's eyes drifted from Voldemort briefly, focusing on Nagini, before returning his focus to the other.

"I could bring you the boy, and it would be over. No more magical blood need be spilled."

Voldemort smiled, revealing sharp teeth as he laughed, a rattling raspy sound that made the hair on the back of her neck straighten.

"Harry Potter. No, I am not worried about Harry Potter." he said that wicked smile still stretched across his face, "He will come in time. As they fall one by one around him, he will come for revenge or to beg for an end."

The air seemed to grow heavy with each of his words, and she felt she was struggling to take in a breath.

Beside her, she heard Draco's breath hitch as he jerked infinitesimally closer and leaned heavily on her.

Magic.

Cold, dark, and ugly magic was pooling into the shack.

"No. I have bigger problems than Harry Potter."

"My lord -"

"The wand Severus." Voldemort snapped, "It is my magic fueling it, bending it, but it does not work for me as it should."

Draco seemed to lean forward at those words, and she wondered if perhaps he knew why this conversation was happening.

It wouldn't surprise her.

"It is your wand my lord." Snape said simply, but was that...fear also in his voice?

"I am not its true master, and I realized," he stepped menacingly forward, "that I haven't earned its loyalty."

"My lord, let me bring you the boy. We can end this."

Voldemort shook his head.

"Severus. My loyal servant. You have done great things for me. You brought me the wand."

Snape said nothing, his eyes darting slowly around the shack, lingering on Nagini as she seemed to slither forward.

"You slew the old fool for me." Voldemort continued, "And in doing so, you won its allegiance. I am not the wand's master Severus, you are."

Her heart thudded and she gripped Draco tight, knowing exactly what was coming.

"I am sorry Severus. I did not wish to lose you." he hissed and in a blink of an eye Nagini rose at his command and struck.

Draco jerked against her grip, but she didn't loosen it.

 _Forgive me. Please forgive me._

Snape dropped to the floor, his neck bloodied with his dark hair sticking to the edges of the open wound.

Nagini dug her fangs in dragging them down toward his shoulder before letting go and slithering to Voldemort's side.

Voldemort sunk down for a moment staring Severus right in the eyes, not 5 inches for the other's face.

Her heart swelled with pride when she saw Snape meet the steely gaze back unblinking.

"You understand Severus. I must be its master. I must." he said lowly before he rose and walked out of the shack with Nagini at his heels.

She held her breath, counting slowly in her head as she held Draco close against her.

At 100, she loosened her grip around Draco who broke their cloaking spells as he dashed forward.

"No. No. No." Draco said frantically to himself as he began rummaging through his pockets.

"Focus Draco. Focus." she said firmly, dropping by his side.

She went to work mending the open skin, stopping the blood as best she could.

"Fucking hell." she heard Ron murmur to her side as they joined them around Snape.

She looked up from her work as Snape's body shook.

She scanned his face, noticing an open look and some measure of acceptance in her former professor's expression.

A silver tear fell from his eye, streaking down his cheek.

Her mouth dropped at the sight as she scrambled and summoned a vial.

"Take it." Snape said hoarsely.

"Don't you fucking dare you bastard." Draco exclaimed pulling a drawstring purse from his pocket and enlarging it.

"You've made me so proud." Snape rasped, his focus on them fading as more silver tears continued to flow.

She bent forward collecting the silver tears as Draco clutched something in his fist.

He elbowed past her and shoved whatever it was into Snape's mouth just as the man's eyes fluttered close.

"Swallow you bastard." Draco muttered, blinking furiously as his eyes watered.

He rubbed at Snape's throat and collapsed backward when he seemed to final swallow.

"Oh gods." Draco muttered, wiping at his eyes as he stood stiffly.

"What did you-"

"Bezoar." he said, "It'll keep him alive for now, but we need to get him to Pomfrey."

His eyes dropped to the vial of silver tears in her hand. "Then we can see about those memories."

Before he could say another word, Draco drew his wand and swung back to point it toward the entrance.

She held her breath as, for a second, nothing happened. Then, a dark boot jutted forward and a figure came into view.

Light blond hair gleamed in the low light, and dark steely gray eyes roamed over each of their forms before settling on where Draco stood just in front of her.

Lucius.

A thin smile stretched on his face as he regarded Draco, proud really, as he took in his defensive stance.

He held his hands up to show he meant them no harm.

He lifted his chin and tilted his head toward Snape's form.

"You can't take him into the castle like this." Lucius paused, "Draco, let me help."

For a minute no one said a word as the two stood staring one another down.

Draco let out a breath, dropping his arm to his side. He jutted his chin forward.

"Alright."

* * *

Draco could do nothing but watch as Lucius bent over Snape and began to work.

He'd done protection spells and cleaned the skin around the fang made wounds before turning to his face.

He watched as he lightened Snape's features, changed the slope of the nose, the placement of the eyes.

He would make Snape anonymous, and he begrudgingly admitted that it was a good idea.

They would bring him back and he would be treated with everyone none the wiser.

Lucius rose back to his feet, dusting his robes as he walked past the trio with barely a sign of acknowledgement.

He stopped before him, and Draco couldn't help but hold his breath.

It was too much of a habit not to stand just a little straighter, school his expression to one a little colder …. To be ready to demonstrate every scrap of cunning he had at a moment's notice.

It couldn't be helped, because as much as he may wish to deny or twist the particulars of this truth, he knew deep down that he was as much Lucius's son as he was Sirius's.

Lucius seemed to recognize that, or at least his own thought process, because his own expression softened as he looked him over.

"You'll keep safe."

It wasn't really a question nor a command. To Draco it almost sounded like a sentiment of hope.

"I will see you at the end of this." he said in reply. He couldn't make promises, and he certainly couldn't force one out of the other man in return.

He could only offer up his own hopes for how it would end. Offer Lucius an opportunity for them to speak plainly with each other when the chaos finally settled.

Lucius bowed his head, and in his shock, he nearly forgot to do the same.

"Until then." he said as he walked sharply out of the shack.

He let out a breath, his shoulders slumping at the motion.

He turned, and without a word, he followed the others through a tunnel they'd unearthed.

He kept his eyes trained on Snape as Hermione levitated him. Taking his lead, no one else spoke as they walked through the tunnel.

And no one talked as they came back up in the hall of the castle and made the short walk to the Great Hall.

If he'd thought the situation bleak before, the scene in the Great Hall would have convinced him of it.

The total injured had certainly risen in the hours since the start of the fighting, even those who weren't laid out on cots across the room were still weary with cuts, bruises, and some combination of ash and dirt smeared across their clothes and flesh.

And all that was besides the growing number of cots with sheets draped delicately over bodies that would never rise with a breath again.

He took all of it in, and he knew that no matter what the three beside him had tried to convince themselves, they weren't prepared for the sight.

Their minor excursions beforehand had never led to so many casualties nor as much violence.

His own experiences had been more varied … darker.

Revels alone were exercises of horror.

He shivered.

Even still, seeing it once more before his eyes he couldn't help the pit from forming in his stomach and weighing down. Heavier and heavier. As he continued.

Hermione found Pomfrey and Snape was quickly transferred into her care.

He felt more than helpless as he watched.

Pomfrey fussing.

The crowd of people.

Death.

Death.

Death.

He felt himself growing numb from it.

"Draco?"

He blinked and found a pair of gray blue eyes before him.

"He has to be alright." He said, his eyes drifting back to Snape's form. Sirius followed his gaze, his eyes sharp as he seemed to be trying to put together who he was looking at.

"My godfather." he whispered.

Sirius's eyes widened before he gripped his arm in some measure of solidarity.

Time seemed to move differently then.

He was watching, just watching.

Sirius eventually drifted away from him to confront another crowd of familiar faces.

He felt the weight grow heavier as he went closer. He could count faces.

He knew what he would find.

Still, it wasn't the same.

It wasn't the same as watching Andromeda collapse to her knees.

Or Remus trying to pick her up and somehow keep her grounded.

It wasn't the same as seeing Ted Tonks flat on his back with his eyes staring toward the ceiling and not truly seeing.

He closed his eyes tightly, wishing beyond belief that he could close his ears to the broken sobs that were echoing from Andromeda, from other families scattered across the room.

It was too much.

Then, as though taunting them, he felt the grounds of the castle shake as a hissing filled the air.

He opened his eyes just as the hissing became words.

"So much magical blood has been spilled. So much death. _Take one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. And let it not be said that Lord Voldemort is not merciful."_

The words seemed to bounce of the walls, growing louder and louder with each second after the pause in his speech.

"Harry Potter end their suffering. End their suffering and meet me in the forest. Meet me, and they may all live. You have an hour to say your goodbyes, make peace."

He shivered at the hiss that dragged at that last word.

"I am waiting."

The halls seemed to erupt in chaos and in between the moving bodies he saw it.

He saw Potter, a vial in his hand, dash out of the hall.

Without thinking, he followed.

* * *

Potter was rushing like a man possessed but as the twists of the hall continued, he realized he knew where they were going.

The Headmaster's office.

Cautiously, he followed up the winding staircase and stepped into the office. It wasn't hard then to find Potter's object of desire.

He continued, keeping his footsteps light until he was close enough to make out Potter emptying that vial of silvery tears straight into the pensieve.

"What are you doing Potter?"

Potter froze, swiftly turning to face him with the empty vial still clutched in his hand. He seemed to relax at the sight of him before growing somewhat defensive, if not hysterical.

"He wanted us to see them. I'm going to see them."

"He probably meant for you to see them with a clear head." he retorted.

"Don't. I can't wait. I can't go back in there and see...they're all dead. Dead because of me."

He felt for the bloke. He did. How many times had he felt torn apart by such thoughts? And Potter, with his relationships with the victims-

He'd been given a rough deal. Draco would be the first to acknowledge that, but it had never been more clear to him than it was in that moment.

"They'd be dead even without you." Draco said softly, "This entire war would have happened with or without you. Sure, you're an important piece, but...our world, it's needed this since the end of the first one."

Some sort of understanding passed on his face as he nodded stiffly at Draco.

"And you're right." Draco continued, "He wanted you to see those memories, but I'm seeing them with you."

Potter didn't seem surprised and in answer he moved to the right to accommodate him.

Then, in sync, they both stuck their heads into the Pensieve.

* * *

Draco blinked, his vision assaulted by the bright green of an outdoor garden of sorts. He made out Potter to his right stepping closer to where three young children were standing.

"You're doing magic." the dark haired child said.

Snape.

"You're a witch."

He stepped toward the pair of young girls, focusing on the red headed girl with bright green eyes.

He dropped his gaze to the ground, not wanting to see this moment.

He'd already seen it once while practicing Occlumency with his godfather.

He heard Lily, then Evans, dismiss Snape while voicing her disgust at being called such a thing.

When he finally did look up, the scene had changed and both Snape and Lily looked older.

Snape was talking of Hogwarts to an enraptured Lily. About magic. About spells.

Her eyes wide, her breathing halted, as she leaned closer and closer to him.

A twig snapped, and the two sprung to their feet at the approach of the other girl.

It was Lily's sister. That much Draco knew; though, her name escaped him.

Again, she accused her sister of being a freak. Again, she offered the same insult to Snape.

This time, the pair were not silent. They argued back and forth.

Throughout it, he didn't know why, but his gaze lingered on the sister. Her face flushed as she spat words that the expression in her eyes didn't seem to match.

He frowned.

This other Evans was angry, but at who?

He watched then as a branch from the tree fell, snapping and frightening the children. The confusion clear on all their faces.

Especially Snape's.

He knew by this time his godfather had already shown some measure of control of his magic, even at that age. In fact, most children of magical families were first taught to manage accidental magic by about 6.

He also knew what he'd just noticed. Something Snape and Lily Evans had failed to.

The flick of the other Evans' hand.

A hedge witch.

He'd read about them once. Their magic wasn't very strong, hard to summon and a bit unpredictable when it was.

Combined with the girl's obvious fear of magic, she'd no doubt suppressed it.

He wondered why Dumbledore had not invited her into the wizarding world. If not as a student, then as a private apprentice under Herbologist, a position which had suited other hedge witches in the past.

Or had he thought her not worth the effort?

Or had it not factored into his plans.

He felt a flash of annoyance at the man, who at once had been a mastermind of ruining and saving.

He drew himself back to the memories only to find that they were now leaving the Hogwarts train and headed up to the castle.

The sorting ceremony.

Then a few scenes skipping around time.

Then his mother.

His gaze was drawn to her.

She would comfort Snape, force that trio that also included his Uncle Regulus to go out occasionally and try to forget.

It was Snape's last year now, they were celebrating at Hogsmeade.

Regulus had pulled away saying something about meeting a witch when Elena leaned closer to Severus.

"Has she finally forgiven you?" she said softly.

Severus eyed her, his finger idly tracing the wooden counter top.

"She said she could forgive my slip." he finally answered, "But, she still doesn't think we should remain friends." He spoke with an expression of distaste before his expression turned sorrowful. "She doesn't understand. It's safer if I appear to hate her and she hate me. To her, it's easier to just write it off completely."

To write him off, he met.

Lily Evans was many things, but in the face of her happiness:

with her boyfriend or otherwise,

she would be cold and decisive.

"And she calls herself a Gryffindor." Elena remarked distastefully. She hummed to herself before taking a sip from her drink.

"Why must we insult them? They are just different, Muggle, a different species in a way."

"Don't let Lucius hear you."

"He never does."

Snape gave her a harsh glare.

"You don't even know muggles to be torn up at their treatment." he said.

She shrugged, "I only know that you make them to be cruel and unforgiving people. If anything, that makes them more like wizards."

Snape's frown deepened, his own gaze growing unfocused, pulled away by some memory.

"Say what you will about wizards." Snape said lowly, "But when we kill, we stop a heart from beating. No need for more pain. No need to cause more suffering."

Elena straightened at that. She let out a breath nodding in assent.

"But death is still death."

Snape didn't argue with her.

The scene skipped forward and they followed as Snape, somewhat older and wearing signature black robes, walked swiftly up a cobblestone path to a pretty little house with a red roof.

He knocked and was swiftly let in.

He stood in the foyer and greeted his host when she appeared gliding down the steps from the floor above.

Elena, she was older too. Her blonde hair free and cascading down her back.

Draco's heart ached at the sight. She looked about as old as she would ever get here. It wouldn't be long from now that she had him.

It wouldn't be long before she died.

"I didn't think you'd come Severus."

He bowed his head in greeting.

"I've only been back a short while, and I thought I'd visit your new house."

"It's hardly new if it's been a year." Elena chided while leading him to a sitting room.

He hesitantly followed Snape into the room and the two sat face to face on opposing sofas.

Elena let out a sigh leaning back into her seat. Just as she moved, something glinted on her finger.

"Elena." Snape hissed, his eyes trained on her hand.

At the outburst, she straightened and already he could see her expression molding to a mask. She was prepared to defend. That much was clear.

"Is this why you left the Manor? To follow him… that-"

"I left the Manor because it was no longer a home I recognized." Elena cut him off, "All of them walking in and out whenever they pleased." Her expression twisted into one of disgust.

"And my father, too stupid to see where his ambition is leading him."

Snape sighed, the weight of several sleepless nights pulling his features downward as he slumped in his seat.

"He will be your ruining." he said softly.

Draco tore his gaze from Snape to focus on his mother, leaning closer as though literally waiting on the edge of his seat for her response.

Elena blinked, her tears misting slightly before she twisted her expression to another one full of strength.

"Then it will be a ruining I chose." She whispered, "Just as you have."

At that, Snape visibly flinched and his right arm, if only slightly, drifted toward his left.

At the motion, Lena jumped to her feet and sat beside him, pulling his sleeve up roughly. Beneath her grip, clear and ugly against Snape's pale arm was the dark mark.

She made a strangled sound at the sight, but did not drop his arm. "So they finally did it." She said.

Snape pulled his arm from her hand.

"I chose it." He said, though from his tone, Draco knew that was not exactly the case.

Lena's bright eyes drifted across his face. "Oh Severus, what are they going to do to you?"

Snape ignored her, righting his sleeve, but from his jerked motions Draco knew he had been cut by them.

"We will have to be more careful then, if you insist on staying -" He began.

"Careful." She exclaimed, "Oh I know all about being careful. My own brother won't come to this house unless he knows he's not being followed. He's asked me to ward it against every spell, every possible intruder."

She'd gotten back on her feet, pacing as she ranted.

"My father, I likely will never speak to again, and Lucius...oh gods Lucius has all but been threatened into taking that same mark." She hugged her middle, "My own brother who used to help me tie the laces of my shoes, who used to laugh at my wit."

Here her voice broke.

"My own brother who will probably not see me married." she shuddered, "Severus, when will it end?"

Snape stood from his place on the sofa and Elena fell into his arms, shaking with her silent sobs.

"Soon, I hope." Snape murmured as he carefully held his mother against him.

Draco swallowed roughly, diverting his eyes away wishing he didn't have to see Snape's memories of how the war raged, of Lena growing round as she carried him, of her death and then the death of the Potters.

He didn't want to see Snape rage at Dumbledore or warn him of the Dark Lord's return as the memories went on and on.

But he did anyway.

It must have been the last memory now, Dumbledore was worn with his sleeve rolled up, displaying the blackened skin of his cursed arm.

"You must make sure that this wand never falls into his hands. With the Elder Wand, he will be capable of near anything."

Draco shivered at that. So he'd been right. For once, having his suspicions confirmed left him with nothing but dread.

"And if ever a time comes Severus, where he keeps the snake close to him warded with protection, you must tell Harry." Dumbledore was saying, "His connection, his abilities, they have all been because Tom has unwittingly managed to put a piece of himself into the boy. You must, Severus, you must tell him that he is a horcrux. For the world to finally be rid of Tom Riddle -"

"He must die." Snape finished, his voice raised, "You have raised the boy, groomed him and given him hope, for what? You have mentored him to be slaughtered."

"There is a chance that everything will end as it should." Dumbledore began.

"As it should?" Snape said icily, "Nothing is as it should. People who called me family are dead, and you are adding children to the body count."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled for a moment, "Ah Severus, there is your heart."

"My heart." Snape scoffed, "You shouldn't concern yourself with my heart, you should be trying to find your own."

Dumbledore was silent as Snape picked up what appeared to be a stack of his books and made for the door.

"Severus."

Snape paused at the door.

" _Even after all this time?"_

Snape let out a shaky breath.

" _Always."_


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: And here it is. The end. Thank you for everyone who stuck with me from the very beginning of this story. It's been a wild ride. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quotes from Jk Rowling.

* * *

Draco shuddered as he landed back into his body, his heart racing and twisting in pain at all the adrenaline and raw emotion that had been evoked by the memories.

His eyes found Potter, who'd gone pale as he leaned heavily on the edges of the pensieve trying to collect himself.

He wasn't sure he would blame him if he simply raged and fell apart.

He may have known exactly what kind of man Dumbledore was before, but Potter had looked up to him and found kinship. To find out he'd been groomed to die, it was downright despicable.

But at the same time…

 _End as it should._

His mind spun.

Potter had a horcrux within him, but it was only the horcrux that had to die.

Could it really be possible? The killing curse would require one soul enter the veil, would it spare the other?

It was a thin technicality, but Dumbledore had thought it was worth considering.

Worth using to cling onto hope.

"Potter." He cleared his throat, "Only the horcrux has to die."

The other looked at him incredulously before understanding flooded his expression. Still, the bitterness was evident as he let out a hollow laugh.

"I never thought you'd want to give me hope."

Draco shrugged, "We all deserve some."

Potter shook his head, a wan smile still pulling at the corners of his mouth.

When he didn't speak, Draco drew his wand and held it hilt toward Potter.

"The Elder wand, the wand they were talking about...Snape's not the master." He began and though it pained him he lifted his arm with his wand pulsing in his hand closer to Potter.

"You are." Potter interrupted, "You disarmed him before Snape got to him. You won it's allegiance."

Draco blinked, schooling away his shock. He nodded stiffly.

Potter glanced at his outstretched hand before shaking his head.

"Keep it."

His jaw went slack.

Potter smirked.

"I want to end this the way it should have years ago."

He bit his tongue, holding back from voicing just how stupid he thought that sentiment was.

"Besides," Potter continued, "If something happens...if things don't end right, then it'll be like I handed that wand right to him."

Draco let out a breath before dropping his arm.

"If that's what you want."

Potter nodded, turning his head to glance at the clock sitting at the headmaster's desk.

The hour was almost up.

Without a word, Potter seemed to pull his invisibility cloak from nowhere and draped it over his shoulders.

"You know I'm coming too." Draco said.

Potter's mouth twitched as he held back a smile from spreading across his face. "Strangely, I wouldn't want it any other way."

Draco shook his head at the cliche response before he bent over the desk and scribbled a note on a spare sheet of paper and spelling it to open for a particular person.

At last second, he pulled his spare wand, his mother's wand from the holster at his hip. Biting his lip and praying it would work, he cast over it molding it to resemble the wand in his hand.

To his relief, the wood responded, lengthening and twisting until it was a perfect replica of the one in his hand.

He stowed his wand into his boot and took the altered wand into his hand before he turned back to Potter.

"Alright let's go."

* * *

Hermione felt that her world was in danger of completely falling apart from beneath her feet. Snape had barely been transferred from out of her care before she saw the crowd huddled around a body and the rib crushing sound of Andromeda cry out in agony.

She didn't know what possessed her to step forward.

She didn't know why she stayed looking at the still form of Edward Tonks.

She supposed her thoughts had merely pushed her forward to comfort Andromeda, pay her respects, but she found that the sight twisted her gut and forced tears to spring in her eyes.

Ted had become a confidant and mentor in the short time they'd had to get to know each other.

Now, he was gone.

He'd never see Tonks give birth, his grandson grow up …. Ted Tonks would never grow old.

She felt hate blossom in her chest. She wanted justice. She wanted to tear apart the Death Eaters and demand they understand what they'd robbed the world of. Not just Ted, but each and every soul that had belonged to a body now shrouded in a gray sheet.

Somehow though, she knew even that wouldn't be enough.

If all of that hadn't caused enough of an emotional upheaval, realizing that both Harry and Draco had disappeared not too long after Voldemort's proposed armistice had shaken her with such fear that Ron had had to hold her in his arms to keep her standing upright.

Then, she'd remembered the memories, and that had both filled her with relief and anger that they would leave without them.

So, she and Ron had rushed to the Headmaster's office only to find it empty with a perfectly placed letter in Draco's perfect script sitting on the Headmaster's desk.

 _I'm with Potter._

 _Have a plan._

 _D._

And that had made her furious.

How dare he? How dare he not write her a proper note? How dare he not tell her where they were going?

How dare he leave her behind.

And perhaps even worse, how could he not write just some indication that he would be...safe.

The note nearly fell out of her hands before Ron managed to catch it and glance over it quickly.

He stared it after a moment before setting it on the ground and lighting it on fire with a swish of his wand.

"They've gone into the forest."

She blinked, realizing with a start, that Ron was right.

They were going to confront Voldemort.

She opened her mouth, a thousand ideas for plans right on the tip of her tongue.

Ron took one glance at her face before shaking his head. "If we rush in after them, we might give them away. We have no idea what they've planned." He didn't look pleased, but there was some measure of acceptance as he continued. It made her realize that war had forced Ron to become the hard strategist that she'd always thought him capable of becoming.

"We have to let them fight there, and instead fight here." He said. "No matter what happens with them, all the Death Eaters here won't go quietly, even without their lord's leadership."

She let out a breath, nodding in assent.

"You're right." Her eyes drifted to the clock on the desk.

"The hour's almost up, we should get to the front lines." She said.

Ron nodded grimly. "Yeah, and fast."

* * *

Draco followed silently about ten steps behind where Harry was walking with the cloak hoisted over his form and hiding his movements.

Really, the only clue he had that Potter was still ahead of him was the occasional audible footstep and the low breaths he was trying hard to muffle.

They'd feld the castle under the shroud under the guise of invisibility, breaking it once for Potter to confront Longbottom to leave one piece of information should things take turn for the worse.

 _Kill the snake._

Longbottom had been confused, but ultimately receptive to Potter's request and it wasn't long after that that they were weaving about the grounds toward the forest.

The damage had been so great.

Patches of the once green lawn were missing, and in their place stood large holes, some the size of a small houses. Parts of the grass was still on fire and their were some buildings that were completely gone, collapsed to grown by the brunt of the fight.

Even the Quidditch mitch had been burned down leaving only half the stadium still standing.

Without a visible soul, the entire grounds looked like a ghost of a school...a field of wreckage.

The trudged across the open area quickly and entered the edge of the forest.

Their steps remained constant until about a few miles into the forest. The trees were closer together, large trunks with elaborate branches that twisted together with the neighboring tree at it's side.

The only light that could really be seen through the patchwork of leaves were faint moonbeams that would light small paths every few feet.

He heard Potters footsteps stop as he slipped the cloak off his shoulders leaving it at the base of a nearby tree.

With the faintest of movements, he gestured for Draco to take it when he came closer.

Preoccupied in his own thoughts, Potter pulled what looked like a snitch from his pocket and brought it up to his mouth murmuring something.

He stepped closer and saw the snitch seemingly crack open to reveal a dark stone, which Potter pulled out and held tightly in his hand.

Draco frowned.

What was it- oh….the resurrection stone? Had Potter really had it this entire time?

It seemed like it.

Wisps of white light were pooling around him, and though Draco couldn't make out what they were exactly he had a feeling he already knew.

Ghosts.

Potter had summoned souls from the veil to speak with one last time before he continued forward to what may very well be his death.

He averted his eyes. He may not be able to see or even hear what was going on, but he felt that even bearing witness to an altered appearance to the scene was an intrusion of sorts.

Potter deserved his privacy.

After a few minutes, Potter dropped the stone at the ground by his feet and resumed his walk.

Letting out a breath, Draco followed. First grabbing and shrinking the cloak so that he could store it in his drawstring pouch and then the stone.

He felt uneasy touching the latter. When this was all over, it was clear the stone would have to be hidden away or destroyed.

Hadn't it driven that last brother mad after all? He hadn't been able to let go of the dead.

Potter took them a step to the side and at last second cast a simple disillusionment spell before he stepped within a clearing lit by fires.

He stayed at the edges taking in the various Death Eaters positioned at the corners and the group that flanked Voldemort.

He felt his heart lurch in his chest as he noticed a pair of pale blonde figures.

His parents.

Having already seen Lucius earlier, he found his eyes only searched hm long enough to discern he was relatively unharmed and unchanged from when he'd last seen him.

Instead, his eyes were drawn to his mother. She looked thinner, eyes sunken in though not yet defeated, he could see hope actively dying as the time seemed to stretch longer and longer. Whatever strength she still seemed to possess, she'd poured into her stance. Tall and straight with the air ofa cool Queen, watching as those around her plunged the kingdom further and further into darkness.

He bit his tongue, piercing it and tasting the rust of blood as he tried to convince himself he couldn't possible rush forward and fall into her embrace. Despite that, he practically shook with the need too. As though rushing into Narcissa's arms would somehow turn the world right. That it might mean he was going to wake up and find this had all been a horrible dream.

But that was a childish notion, and he was hardly a child anymore.

He forced his eyes away and took in Nagini lounging at the Dark Lord's feet. He picked out other Death Eaters he recognized and with a start he realized even more were surrounding a large tree, which tied up to it was Hagrid.

He frowned in confusion, faintly making out someone reporting there was no sign of Harry Potter before that was loudly contradicted by the boy himself.

He watched dumbstruck as Potter dropped his disillusionment spell and walked forward, his wand down until he stood with just a fire separating him from Voldemort.

Voldemort's eyes widen in shock as he took in Potter's form.

"Harry Potter." Voldemort whispered, "The boy who lived."

Before Draco could blink a flash of green light shot out from Voldemort's wand.

And the world seemed to slow.

Hagrid was screaming in the distance.

Voldemort was looking on in rapt attention.

The Death Eaters were frozen in place.

His wand burned painfully at his side.

 _I am your Master._

But before he could think anything else Potter's knees buckled and he went crashing to the ground.

He stared in shock. His wand was still pulsing with magic. Even his wounded arm was throbbing at the aftershocks of the spell.

He choked at the sight, unable to fully take a breath.

Potter was flat on the ground, unmoving. The force of all that had just occurred, the spell and the gravity of the situation had even flung Voldemort to the ground a few feet from where he'd been standing.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

"Is he still alive?" Voldemort was saying, "You check if he is alive."

He couldn't do anything.

He couldn't breathe.

He was frozen, only able to see as his mother stepped forward and leaned down to examine Potter's prone form.

When she stood a second later, even before she spoke….he knew.

"He's dead."

His heart hammered in his chest and he gasped.

Loudly.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

His spells had begun to fade, erratic and altered with the turmoil he was going through.

He didn't have time to fight before he was pinned between two Death Eaters and the wand in his hand was taken.

He lifted his chin in whatever measure of defiance he still held as he was forced to acknowledge the monster before him.

Voldemort looked at him a greedy and wicked looking sneer decorating at his pale face.

"Draco Malfoy." He said softly, "So you live."

* * *

Hermione and Ron had made a surprisingly good team. The drills they had run all those months ago had improved both of them and afforded them a glimpse for how the other dueled.

It was a good thing too, because as the clock chimed and the hour finished the castle grounds began to shake.

The creatures who were still loyal to Voldemort had launched a second assault and wizards and witches alike had swarmed back to attack.

So they'd gone on and one. Duel after duel.

She gasped as she managed to stop and just catch her breath. It was like she had been fighting for years instead of the minutes that must have just turned into hours.

She blinked watching the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the dark.

Daybreak.

She didn't know why, but the sight made her stomach knot with dread.

It seemed it was a premonition of sorts, because the entire field seemed to quiet as a loud hissing filled the air.

"Come. Come see. Is this your hero?"

Her eyes darted to the edge of the forest where a crowd of figures clad in black where edging close to the center of the chaos.

Voldemort was walking proudly, a vicious smile on his face as a Death Eater she didn't recognize shoved a bound prisoner in front of him.

She muffled a sob with her hand. Draco.

As if the situation couldn't get more devastating, she saw it.

Hagrid and the limp figure in his arms.

"Harry." She whispered and her vision seemed to blur, her knees buckling.

"Easy. Easy." She heard Ron whispered near her ear as his arms gripped her to his chest.

"Harry Potter is dead."

A low murmur rippled through the crowd before if died quickly as Voldemort stalked forward. He motioned to Hagrid to set down Harry's body.

"The fighting need not go on. Lay down your weapons, and I will give you justice. Stop the fight and no more blood need be spilled and there will be mercy."

No one spoke. Whether that was because of their shock at the sudden turn of events or by the words that were flowing from Voldemort's mouth she couldn't be sure. Then as though the grounds were still shaking beneath her feet, she trembled as sharp cries and sobs hauntingly cut through the air.

And Voldemort. Cruel as he was, appeared to smile at the sound.

"Yes, the boy is dead, but Lord Voldemort will be merciful." He said after the silence had settled for a few moments. "Let us start."

He turned and at the nod of his head the two holding Draco shoved him forward, releasing him.

He stumbled, sloppily catching himself before he fell completely to the ground.

Voldemort stepped closer to him.

"Draco Malfoy. You have been a traitor. You have failed me. Defied me. Evaded me." He said as his voice rose with each word, "But you have also survived my curse that was meant to kill you."

Her heart hammered in tune with the murmurs that erupted at that declaration.

"Even now I would welcome you back with open arms. You have proven strength worthy of your name." He paused for a moment, lifting his hand and signaling for two other Death Eaters to shove Narcissa and Lucius forward. "And your family would be so eager to have you come home."

Draco looked lost for a moment, his mind obviously working to analyze the situation and repeatedly coming up trapped. He'd been threatened. It was as simple and as complicated as that.

His eyes drifted toward the two people he'd called parents for all his life. Searching, as though to find some answer that only they could give him. She watched as his gaze continued to drift before falling on the still form of Harry Potter.

The sheer force in which he stared at the body made even her shake at it's intensity.

 _Gods and above. Draco what are you thinking?_

He turned back to face Voldemort letting out a breath before rising up and tilting his chin forward, looking every bit the part of a powerful aristocratic warrior.

"No."

Voldemort frowned, murmur tearing through the crowd at Draco's declaration.

"No. I will not join you."

Voldemort's expression twisted into something ugly, "Lucius." He hissed.

Lucius looked between them, his lord and his son. He lingered at Draco, and for a moment, she thought for sure something had passed between them.

"If that is his wish." Lucius began, an arm gripping Narcissa, "Than not even the blood in his veins could make him my son."

The blood roared in her ears, her entire body frozen at the words.

How cruel.

How utterly….

Wait.

That careful wording. She stared at Lucius, before her eyes drifted to Draco.

His expression was just as unreadable, but as she blinked she thought, if only for a fraction of a second, he'd tilted his head in acknowledgement.

A lie by telling the truth.

Her eyes darted back to Voldemort who seemed somewhere between furious and amused at Draco's defiance.

He looked to be signaling another Death Eater to come forward, no doubt to force Draco into submission, when a figure broke through the crowd and came to stand firmly beside Draco.

"He said no."

Her heart swelled with pride, relishing the firm nature that Neville spoke as he edged himself somewhat in front of Draco, simultaneously offering a barrier of protection while also claiming him fully to their side.

"He said he wouldn't be joining you. Harry might be gone, but we're all still here. We all can still fight, and _we will join you when hell freezes over!"_

Her eyes darted quickly between Neville and Voldemort, who'd called Nagini to his side.

"Such brave words. Have you no fear?" Voldemort hissed stepping forward. He seemed to be studying Neville's face before he seemed to realize just who was in front of him as Bellatrix cackled and said his name.

"A pureblood." he said to himself, "With such bravery. You would certainly find a place among my ranks."

And it was at that moment that Hermione decided the world had seemed to slow.

Voldemort's face had contorted with such ugly anger at Neville's words, and without hesitation he'd drawn his wand to show Neville just want his refusal meant. At the same time, Nagini had darted forward, ready to draw blood before her master demanded it.

She saw how Draco saw the attack coming and half tackled Neville away just as the sound of glass breaking from a nearby window and scattering to the ground rang out from behind her.

Then, everything seemed to speed up as Fawk's soared regally through the air dropping the old and tattered sorting hat before Neville. And Neville, as though acting on instinct reached inside and pulled the hilt of a glittering sword.

A sword, she swore, she'd left behind at a cottage by the sea.

Draco had twisted to his feet at this point, casting a swift shield around them just as Neville swung the sword and cleanly ran it completely through Nagini's neck.

Dead.

She thought as the thump sounded and the raised body of the snake seemed to shrivel as it hit the ground not a second later.

Dead.

She thought as her eyes were drawn to the glistening red no staining the shining blade as Neville heaved, his breath heavy, as he righted himself with the sword still in his hand.

Dead.

She thought as Voldemort let out a scream that seemed to pull her very soul out through the spaces between her ribs.

Then, just as quickly another thought pierced through the haze of the action.

Alive. Because suddenly, they seemed to have a fighting chance.

The horcrux, the last one, was gone.

And Harry's body was no longer spread out on the ground.

She barely had a chance to fully digest that though because, a thundering of footsteps drew her attention to the forest just as a wave of arrows suddenly descended upon the Death Eater ranks.

It seemed the creatures of the forest had firmly decided the side they would fight on. The centaurs continued to fire arrow after arrow, as the Death Eaters scrambled only to be met with the ranks of giants cornering them on the other side.

And the chaos of battle once more resumed.

Voldemort was firing spell after spell in between shouting orders at his soldiers to regain some sense of order.

It wasn't enough.

The defenders of Hogwarts were numerous now, and somewhat possessed with a renewed fury to fight.

Even the house elves had joined in, using magic and brute force to attack at any Death Eater they seemed to run into.

And bodies started to fall.

She wasn't sure when that really began to happen, but somehow they'd begun to turn the tide.

For every Death Eater, three defenders of the castle would be there to trap the wizard or witch within a duel.

It was hard to say, how many she'd manage to take down with her own wand. She was barely registering faces, only conscious of the spells that were effortlessly rolling off her tongue.

Soon, it was really only a few left. Bellatrix, shooting spells, not really fazed as both she, Luna, and even Ginny continued to cast in rapid succession.

Voldemort not far behind them, dueling three Order members at once.

And two or three other Death Eaters, she didn't recognize were similarly cornered to her right and left.

Her eyes were drawn away momentarily from the mad witch at the flash of blonde in her periphery.

Only it wasn't the blonde, she'd been aching to see.

It wasn't Draco. Just Narcissa and Lucius running through the chaos, not really fighting, only screaming out trying to find him.

Her distraction cost her.

She tripped to the side, rolling her ankle as she narrowly avoided a spell from Bellatrix.

Her fall, seemed to tip the scales. Ginny and Luna easily fell back to avoid Bellatrix, who at this point wasn't paying them any mind.

Her face twisted with glee as she came forward.

"Oh I was hoping I would get this opportunity." Bellatrix said eagerily as she toyed with her wand.

Before she could cast, Bellatrix was thrown to the side; a flash of spell momentarily blinding Hermione from seeing more.

"You really couldn't pick anyone else to fight?" a voice said near her ear as a firm arm came around her waist and held her steady at his side.

She relaxed, blinking up and taking in the face of one of the people she'd been anxiously trying to find since all hell had broken loose for what seemed like the millionth time this day.

"There's not many options left." She retorted as she snaked her arm around his waist in return, tightening her grip as she gratefully leaned against him.

He smirked for a moment before pulling away and adopting a more defensive position as Bellatrix let out a howl and sprang back to her feet, advancing with a fury.

"You." She screeched, "Didn't you get enough the last time? Or do you need more lessons to learn from your dear old Aunt?"

Draco shot a spell at her, just as a bright red light sprang from hers.

They both gracefully dodged, circling each other.

"Or maybe I'll just pick up where I left off." Bellatrix cackled.

"I think not."

She spun her head and took in Lucius Malfoy darting forward and sending some sort of hex at Bellatrix that forced her off her feet.

Then, without a second's delay, Narcissa had sent another spell from the opposite direction that Bellatrix barely managed to avoid.

Well, perhaps that was being generous. The spell had managed to shear off a thick mass of curls from the witch's hair.

Just like that, the Malfoys began to fight. And fight they could. The two were in perfect sync with one another, needing no words to communicate. One would corner and the other would cast, or vice versa. At some point , they were joined by Molly, who'd seen Ginny corned by the witch and come howling for blood.

Bellatrix, as though sensing her failing, angrily cried out and shot a spell not at Lucius. Or Narcissa. Or at Molly.

But rather to the side, aimed near Ginny.

The girl, seeing the bright green headed in her direction had skidded down on her knees to avoid it.

For the life of her, Hermione couldn't understand why Bellatrix had chosen her as her target, but the witch's plan to force a distraction spectacularly failed.

Molly had advanced as though possessed and shouted out a bombarda that had managed to land squarely on Bellatrix's chest.

She shuddered, dropping her head to the ground as the horrible scene quite literally tore the witch out of existence.

She forced herself to open her eyes as the spell ended and the witch's absence was noticed by her master.

Voldemort screamed once more, flinging his opponents away from him in one motion of his arm as he seemed to dash toward Molly, two spells rapidly shooting from his wand.

And just before those spells could land a mark, a voice...a voice she'd thought not an hour before that she'd never hear again, screamed out a shield charm and appeared planted firm between Molly and Voldemort.

Harry.

* * *

Draco couldn't say he was surprised by Potter's miraculous reappearance.

He'd sensed it before. When he'd been hit with those cutting words from Lucius and placed on display for both Death Eater and Hogwarts Defender to take a shot at, he'd found himself examining the boy's body and on some crazy whim he'd pushed his mind forward….

Only to find a conscious mind push back.

So, he wasn't surprised.

And he wasn't really surprised that Potter had waited so long to reveal himself.

He'd, of course, been fighting. Draco had managed to keep near him as Potter shot spell after spell hidden beneath a well cast cloaking spell, and he took out whatever other Death Eaters managed to somehow evade one spell or another.

He was surprised though, that Potter was just talking the Dark Lord's ear off.

He was spouting many claims, protective magic...sacrificial magic that Potter claimed he'd managed to give to each and every Defender of Hogwarts.

And while Draco wasn't one to accept such talk, he had to admit that some of what Potter was taunting Voldemort with made sense.

No other casualties had been wrought on this side.

Then there was Potter's defending of Dumbledore. Claims that Voldemort, Tom Riddle, would never reach the level of magic or respect that Dumbledore had commanded.

Draco felt Voldemort's anger.

He could feel it building and thickening the air, just as it seemed to send sharp twinges of pain through him.

Potter's tauntings were only serving to worsen the air and lengthen the time that Voldemort hard to pool all his power.

And the pain of all the darkness, nearly had him on his knees.

He didn't know why, but it made him quietly and somehow cloaked in a spell he didn't recall casting step forward.

Their conversation had moved on now and Voldemort was laughing at the story Potter had painted about Snape, about Lily, about love.

"It makes sense now. This last plan the old fool had left, but it failed didn't it? He wanted to desperately keep this wand from my hands, but I have it. It is mine, pried from his cold fingers before anyone could claim it as their own." Voldemort said.

"But it's still not yours."

Draco's heart raced as his own wand hummed and heated in his palms.

His eyes darted briefly to Voldemort's hand which was shaking as it gripped tightly to the wand his once Headmaster had used.

"You didn't defeat Dumbledore."

Voldemort flashed a dangerous grin. "So you still speak of Snape. He may have defeated Dumbledore, but I have defeated him. He's been dead 3 hours now."

Draco bit his tongue to keep from screaming out.

It didn't matter that he knew that Snape hadn't fallen under Voldemort's hand..he was so overwhelmed with hate. Burning and familiar hate and anger.

It was almost reassuring, how easily he welcomed the feel of it.

He was sure he would need that fury soon.

"But Snape was never a master of the wand." Potter retorted, "You still don't understand that wielding a wand and using it doesn't make it yours. You should repent while you still can. It won't be long now."

The blood roared in Draco's ears, making him miss Voldemort's reply.

Fuck.

Potter.

What the fuck was he doing?

"Snape didn't defeat Dumbledore. They agreed to the act, but someone else was there. Someone else defeated Dumbledore and won the wand's allegiance before he died."

Voldemort seemed to freeze at Potter's words, and with dread Draco braced himself, knowing exactly what was about to come.

"The Master of the Elder Wand was never Snape, it was Draco."

The confusion barely registered on Voldemort's face before he was announcing that it didn't matter. That 'Draco Malfoy' would soon be dealt with and for now the two would fight on skill alone.

 _He highly doubted that._

The sun suddenly seemed to burn bright into the sky, fully reclaiming the day and flooding through the half ruins half castle that they were now standing in.

"You're too late for the wand." Potter said, "I've already overpowered Draco."

His head pounded.

Lie.

Lie.

Lie.

But a clever and protective one at that.

"It all comes down to whether the wand knows it's master's been defeated."

He felt his fingers heat as he tightened his grip around his wand and he stepped forward.

"So let's end this, how it began Tom." Potter said, just as Draco came to stand a breath behind the other.

He couldn't say he heard Voldemort scream out the killing curse, but he did see it.

He put every bit of magic he had and poured it out of him, letting it reach over the grounds. He felt it brush the edge of the Elder wand where it shook in Voldemort's hand.

He felt himself pull away the magic, weakening the curse, slowing it. Drawing it into him.

His vision blurred, and he was reminded of the truly battered state of his body. He'd pushed too hard. Had been pushing too hard for months.

He'd barely survived a dark curse.

He'd barely survived the torture of a mad and obsessed witch days ago.

He'd barely managed to avoid major hits during this battle, while taking a barrage of cuts, bruises, and hexes.

He hadn't had enough time to replenish his magic much less heal his body, and his potion induced high had given him false energy and a patchwork of a somewhat healed flesh.

And now it was all coming to a head.

His head seemed to grow lighter as his legs grew heavy and unstable beneath him.

A little longer. He still had a little more magic left.

He forced his wand up, at level with Potter's and pushed as much as he still had left into Potter's spell.

Strengthening it. Giving it speed. And maybe, just maybe adding another spell entwined in it.

The light from the magic, from the spells the two had already cast, blinded them, and Draco was swept backwards just as that chaotic and volatile mix of magic met and exploded.

He blinked, trying as hard as he could to keep the scene in front of him in focus.

Of the wand in Voldemort's hand being torn away...of the green flash of his spell mixing with the one that Draco had cast, pulling at the magic he'd poured out of him and growing stronger and racing back to the caster.

Of the force that suddenly threw everyone near back about 10 feet.

And he thought, if for the briefest of moments, that Voldemort's very skin was burning.

"And it comes full circle." he murmured as his feet gave out and the world around him went black.

* * *

Soap.

It smelled like lavender scented soap and fresh air.

And something else. Something else he recognized, but he didn't quite know.

Draco blinked, unsure why it suddenly seemed so easy to take a breath and straighten to stand firmly on his feet.

He glanced around, taking in the open roof around him.

Was he at Grimmauld?

He glanced up, his eyes darting across the glittering lights of the stars against a dark sky that housed a bright and full moon.

Uneasy, he turned around hoping to find some other clue to where he was when he finally noticed he wasn't alone.

Her hair gleamed, blending in and shining with the rays of the moon's light as she cautiously stepped forward.

He froze, his eyes glued to her own as his throat tightened, refusing to allow another breath.

She was a foot in front of him now.

He was taller than her, he idly remarked. Not by too much, but enough that he'd have to tilt his head downward to meet her at eye level.

"You're so handsome." She finally spoke, and her eyes shone, growing a little too bright as she examined him. "I always knew you would be...that you'd take after your father."

"I won't tell. It would only make his ego grow." he said before he could even register that he wanted to speak.

He blinked and watched as she froze, slowly processing what he said before a smile stretched across her face.

And she laughed.

And Draco was lost as he watched her. She shook, laughing, while the tears she'd tried to keep at bay fell one and then two and then steadily down her cheeks as her laughter continued before slowly coming to an end.

She smiled, not bothering to wipe away the tears as they still fell, reaching slightly to hold her hands out before her. And he knew somehow that she wanted so badly...just to touch him.

"Draco." she said in a hushed voice, "Can I -"

"Mum." he whispered just as she sprang forward and pulled him to her.

He buried his face into her hair, taking deep breaths and savoring this scent that had always been tugging at the back of memories he wished he recalled better. He trembled, and let his own tears fall down his cheeks and mix with hers as he remained firmly between her arms.

"My darling boy. My beautiful dragon." she whispered, "I've missed you."

He gripped her tighter as she adjusted her grip to cradle his face in her hands.

"I am so incredibly proud of you." she whispered, "And I wish I could take credit for the man you've become, but." Her voice broke here as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her once more.

"I love you." She said, "Even if I'm not there, I love you. You know that?"

"I know." He managed to say, pulling away to face her and offer her a weak smile. "I love you Mum."

Lena beamed at him as a few fresh tears tracked down her cheeks.

He smiled a little wider at the sight, before the reality of where he was and who he was with hit him.

"Mum." he began before she quickly interrupted him.

"No. On no. You haven't crossed into the veil yet." she said, "And hopefully that won't happen for many many years." her voice was sharp and he got the distinct impression she was scolding him and warning him that there would be hell to pay if he didn't live out the full life she wanted him to.

"You've been in limbo." she continued, as she ran a hand through his hair slowly.

"You were so weak...your core nearly burnt out." she said softly as she kept running her fingers through his hair, "You weren't strong enough for me to reach out to at first."

He wanted to interrupt her, ask at least one of the hundreds of questions running amuck through his mind, but she didn't leave him an opportunity.

"But you're strong now. You'll be waking up soon, and I just wanted to see you while I still could." Her voice dropping low as pain flitted across her face.

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a shaky sigh before she opened them and once more cradled his face before letting her hands drop and go from his shoulders down until she could claps both his hands between hers.

"Now, I may be proud of you, but I'm still your mother." She said firmly, "And when you wake up Draco, I want you to listen to your father...to your parents." A small smirk pulled at her lips. "Especially when they tell you, you have to rest and heal."

He must have made a face at that, because Lena let out a soft laugh as her eyes drifted across his face.

"And I want you to do anything you want to do, within reason." She added, "And I want you to live your life Draco. I want it to be beautiful and challenging and full of happiness."

"Mum." He whispered, not sure he could raise his voice much higher and still speak coherently.

"And I would warn you not to do things that are too dangerous or too risky, but…" She trailed off, "I know that won't stop you."

He laughed at her knowing expression and let his fingers thread through hers.

"Love Draco. Love so much." she whispered, "And know that I'm watching."

"I know Mum." He breathed, "I love you."

She smiled widely.

"I love you my darling." she said, leaning forward and pulling him down so that she could kiss his forehead.

He felt his eyelids grow heavy at the action, and his limbs seemed infinitely more heavy than they had been a moment before.

"Never forget it. Even if I can't be there."

He wanted to reaffirm her, but found he couldn't move his mouth to even form the words. His vision was drifting in and out of focus, and he could make out the edges of darkness creeping back in.

"I'm so proud of you Draco." She said, her voice dragging, growing further and further away, "Be happy my love. Be happy with her too."

He wanted to catch hold to that statement, push and prode her for her specific thoughts on _that_ matter, but he couldn't.

He let out a breath and let his eyes close, and he let himself fall back into the darkness with a sense of warmth wrapped around him.

* * *

Hermione blinked slightly before shutting her eyes at the light that immediately assaulted her vision.

She must have dozed off again, and frankly she was close to falling asleep once more. She dropped her head back down. Just as she was beginning to drift away back into the soft warmth of dreams, she felt her warm pillow shift beneath her grasp.

She barely registered her annoyance at that before she shot up straight and nearly fell out of the seat she'd pulled up to the bed sometime that morning.

Her eyes drifted over him...over Draco, not daring to hope that maybe, just maybe, 3 weeks later he was finally starting to wake up.

He'd been like this since the battle, when she and a crowd of other people had shockingly registered him behind Harry and pouring magic into some wild and unheard of spell that had shot out of his wand and threaded through Harry's own.

Then the force of the spells clashing together had thrown them all backwards. She raced across the field, barely comprehending that Voldemort was finally dead, and thrown herself at his fallen form.

It hadn't been enough of an impact to knock him unconscious, but he'd been so magically depleted that his body had forced him into a healing coma to give him some chance to recover.

And so he had stayed.

She scanned his form once more, looking for some sign of….and there it was.

His arm twitched, moving slightly as his fingers seemed to move together to form a fist.

She held her breath, silently praying to every deity she'd ever even heard of. Wake. Wake. Wake.

His arm stilled, and she watched as his chest rose and then shuddered as his breathing broke rhythm and a low groan fell from his lips.

"Hey." She said coming to the head of the bed and leaning closer, combing his bangs from his eyes.

"Take it easy." She murmured as she saw him struggling to speak as he forcefully opened his eyes and closed them several times.

"Sh. Sh." She said, leaning to reach for the water at the bedside table.

She helped him up and tipped her glass to his lips and let him drink slowly despite his attempts for more.

She set the empty glass aside and waited as his eyes darted around the room before finally seeming to grow focused on her.

"Hi." She whispered.

Draco opened his mouth to speak before abruptly sitting up and pulling her to crash their lips together.

"Oh. thank. Merlin."

She couldn't tell who was speaking between them and who was greedily trying to steal kisses in between each word.

"It's over. It's over."

She let out a breath as they leaned their foreheads close together.

They didn't move, falling to lay entwined in his small hospital bed. Neither one wanted to break the peace, but after five minutes he finally asked and she responded.

She told him about the end of the battle.

She told him about the week she'd spent in between funerals, the Ministry, and St. Mungo's, unable to leave his side for more than a few hours and even then not without knowing someone was there with him.

That if he woke up, he wouldn't be alone.

She told him how his parents, Lucius and Narcissa, were on monitored house arrest and only allowed to visit him once a day, but that that might change after their official trial in a month.

She told him how Sirius had been officially pardoned and had set up camp in the other empty bed that was also in his room. How he hadn't slept a night at Grimmauld since he'd been admitted.

She told him that Snape was awake, and would likely be discharged tomorrow. That he should have been discharged earlier, but with the media practically at the doors of the hospital he'd let the Healers continue to delay it until he was sure he was well enough to easily maneuver the waiting vultures with a few choice spells.

"Even Harry and Ron visited you every day." She whispered, before leaning closer and pecking him lightly.

"Harry would thank you each time right before he went to leave."

Draco let out a breath.

"He knows it wasn't for him right?"

She hid her smirk, indulging his need to remain the somewhat aloof self-invested and revenge driven Slytherin.

"I don't think he cares."

The corners of his mouth twitched as he resisted smiling at her retort before he leaned in once more to press his lips to hers. He was slow now, where he'd been hungry and rushed before. She savored it, the way he was still trying to speak through actions.

She let out a breath, feeling his hot against her cheek as he dropped his head to rest at the crook of her neck.

"As much as I want to talk about...about everything. I just want to enjoy this." he whispered against her collarbone, "I want to enjoy the peace."

She smiled, pulling him closer to him and let him relax against her until he eventually managed to fall asleep in her arms. No doubt his body demanding the extra rest.

When he woke next, they were surrounded with his family. Narcissa, resisting the urge to openly sob, as she sat at his other side and chided him while pressing kisses to his forehead and gripping his hands tight.

Lucius had nodded to her, and she'd shyly stepped aside for him to come closer to Draco and speak quietly with him.

Sirius had come in not long after, and it was quite an interesting scene from there.

It had been strange the first time that the three of them had come to visit Draco together, and while they were still incredibly careful in dealing with one another Hermione knew they would be quick to adapt.

Even if a certain measure of awkwardness remained, especially between Sirius and Lucius.

Draco had struggled between them. His more composed, really more formal, behavior with Lucius was a sharp contrast to the relaxed nature he would adopt with Sirius. He was caught between the two, though he was doing his best to somehow acknowledge both.

At some point, Lucius and Narcissa had to leave and Sirius has some meeting he was being forced to attend. They left with promises of visits later, and she was awarded the shock of her life when Narcissa pulled her into a hug as she was saying goodbye and Lucius shook her hand.

Draco had laughed at her expense before pulling her to his side once more before the next round of visitors began.

It wasn't until nearly 5pm that Harry wandered in through the door. He froze at the entryway for a minute before continuing and holding a hand out for Draco to shake.

Draco stared at it, and after some hesitation he reached out his own.

"We put up a hell of a fight." Harry said.

Draco smirked dropping his hand as he brought it to run through his hair. "Let's not do it again though."

She bit back her smile as Harry grinned widely.

They glanced at one another before bursting out into laughter. The freedom of it, being done...having survived despite the absurd odds had drawn them all together.

And it was nice.

As her laughter died down, she realized that Harry was now fingering something at his side.

She clasped her hands tight as she waited a moment before Harry finally drew the wand out from the holster hidden at his hip.

He bit his lip before holding the wand, that infamous wand, out to Draco.

Draco gapped at it before gingerly taking the wand into his hand and closing his eyes. He let out a breath, his grip tightening around the handle.

"I only felt it at a distance before." he whispered, opening his eyes and staring down at it. "Now though...it feels like all the magic I could ever want is right at my finger tips."

She felt her heart race as Draco continued to stare at the wand.

It was a tool of unknown and really, untested power. Under Draco's direction, it could be used to do anything.

But it was also a danger to have, and she knew instinctively that at some point another wizard or witch with their eye on greatness would come after him for it.

It was as burden as much as it was a gift.

"No one should have this." Draco said then, breaking her reverie.

"It's too dangerous...too tempting for any one person to have. It can corrupt you as easily as it could help." he continued.

He bit his lip before, with some measure of pain, he held the wand between his hands and snapped it readily in two.

She felt the air grow hot, as the magic released from the wand, and she saw Draco flush as some of that released magic seemed to draw into him.

He held the pieces in his hand for a moment longer before offering them up to Harry.

"They should be buried...they should be buried with _him."_ Draco stressed.

Harry bit his lip before nodding and taking the pieces back.

"I'll make sure it happens."

Draco nodded stiffly.

Harry smirked, offering his hand once more. This time, Draco readily took it.

They exchanged some sort of pleasantry before Harry turned and hugged her in goodbye.

And then, they were alone.

She crawled back into the bed, letting him wrap an arm around her shoulders as he rested his head atop of hers.

"You know." he finally said, "Between all of this...You never told me about you."

She bit her lip, reaching her hand over to take his free one.

"I was here, waiting for you to wake up."

"Hermione." He whispered.

She felt tears she didn't know she still had in her pool at the edges of her eyes.

"You scared the life out of me Draco." She whispered, "You scared me, and I was so worried that you wouldn't wake up...that you would leave me -"

"Alone." he said as her voice broke.

She nodded stiffly, gripping his hand hard.

"They haven't found my parents yet." She whispered, "Kingsley's been talking with the Australian Minister, but so far they haven't had any luck."

Draco shifted their position so that they were now sitting face to face with their hands tightly clasped together.

"You would never be alone Hermione." He said softly, "Even without me you wouldn't be."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he leaned in and kissed her.

"But I am here." he bit the inside of his cheek, "And...and I want to live a beautiful, challenging, and happy life with you."

She blinked, trying and failing to stop the twin tear tracks from falling from her eyes.

"And when I'm finally allowed to leave here." Draco said, "We'll go look together."

She smiled as Draco dropped her hands to cradle her face, wiping her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I hope so." He said, "You're stuck with me now."

She laughed, gripping his arms and leaning in to cover his mouth with her own.

She shivered at the moan he let out as she nipped his lip lightly. Pulling away enough to just take a breath, she spoke,

"I think I can live with that."

 **Fin.**

* * *

 **So, epilogue?**


	33. Epilogue

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this epilogue up, but life has been hectic. Thank you to each and every one of you beautiful readers for following me through this. I've enjoyed writing as much as I hope you've enjoyed reading this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was approaching 3 years since the Battle of Hogwarts. The world in many ways had changed drastically. In others, it hadn't.

There was still need for the Ministry to pass law after law to encourage unity and reinforce the equality that had been paid for in blood; though, slowly but surely people were changing. Respectful nods, extended invitations, the efforts to assimilate Muggleborns early on into the Wizarding world and efforts to extend this world into the Muggle world had flourished.

Muggle technology for one had become slowly but surely integrated and bringing with it wealth and advancement in a society that had been relatively stagnant for centuries.

At least that's how Draco had initially sold the idea to Lucius when an investment opportunity opened up with a Muggle Communications Corporation.

He couldn't help the smirk that stretched across his face at that. And what a turnover that had generated. Lucius's face after seeing the results of the first quarter profits had filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.

At the time, he hadn't had much going for him. He was on restricted magic use following the battle that his Healer had told him was a necessary precaution following such a close call of having his very core burn out.

He'd needed it. He could appreciate that now. He'd spent those months leading up to the battle surviving on pure adrenaline and little else.

Regardless, he'd hated it. So in between studying, he'd begun looking through some of the investment options Malfoy Industries had. It had certainly yielded impressive results.

Though it had also made Lucius believe he was interested in immediately joining the company upon graduation.

The truth being he didn't know what he wanted to do.

He'd started his potion's mastery simply because he couldn't think of anything else he wanted to learn. It had been too much at first. So many expectations. So many people trying to pull him into different directions. He'd slipped.

Hermione had told him to get some space, re-evaluate. He'd rushed from action to action for so long he hadn't had time to reflect on himself or what he wanted in a life that didn't include war.

And he'd tried in a way, but in time he'd done what he'd always done slipped away.

Only this time, not even Hermione had taken his shit.

She'd thrown a few brochures about schools in France and told him to figure something out because she couldn't watch him continue to sabotage himself.

It had been torture being away for 3 months for a summer semester abroad, but he had come back refreshed in many ways. But he'd missed so many things.

His family.

Her.

Especially her. She'd treated his time away as a break in their relationship, and he hadn't truly understood at the time what that would mean. At least, not until he began sending letters and she'd return them unopened with a note telling him to find her when he was finished.

Looking back, he could tell that was her way to add fire to his motivation. She was right to think so, which shouldn't surprise him.

Despite it, he'd only made one true decision. The potion mastery, even if everything in him was calling for him to go into healing. He wasn't ready...not to accept he might lose a patient and not ready to forget his irrational fear about the luck he brought.

It was enough for now, and when he finally did return he'd gone straight to her little apartment and presented her with a token.

He'd told her before.

She was it.

He followed it up with a proposal just a few months ago, which she'd accepted with a kiss that had turned into wandering hands that had ended in her bedroom.

Despite her eager acceptance, she still hadn't agreed to set a date.

Though, he thought, he knew why that was.

Which brought him to this…

He let out a breath before pushing open the gates and walking on the path that led to the ornate front door of the Black Estates.

After the war, Sirius had left Grimmauld opting to live somewhere he could stretch so to speak. His aunt, not wanting to intrude on Remus and Tonks had gifted them her house and moved in with his father. Both, likely grateful, that they wouldn't have to be alone.

And Grimmauld had gone to Potter, which was fine with Draco.

If anything, Potter had brought new life and light to the house that it had been severely lacking for decades.

He twisted the knob of the door, murmuring the spell to allow him entry, and stepped in.

Potter taking Grimmauld had also allowed him to narrowly avoid another awkward decision he'd had to make.

Heir to two houses, it was only proper he pick a family property to live on if he didn't want to live with Sirius or Lucius and his mother.

He hadn't wanted to choose.

Sure he'd flipped his surnames from Black Malfoy to Malfoy Black, but he'd agonized over the decision not wanting to upset his dad or his mother and father. To pick one set of family properties over the other...he didn't think it was right. So, with Grimmauld out of the picture and the other family estates on either side being too far from the city and his classes, he was free to simply purchase his own home in London.

Hermione had helped him pick, a fortunate outcome really. He wanted her to like it, since he of course, wanted her to live there.

Which she would only do when they were married.

He grimaced.

And that was the crux of his current problem. Why she wasn't ready to plan the wedding even if she was ready to be married to him.

He rounded the hall heading toward the back office and couldn't help the slight grin that broke across his face when he heard the sound of two voices bantering back and forth coming from the room.

"You could try to flip Gallant." he heard Sirius say, "He's holding his vote out to see what he'll get for it, the greedy bastard."

"I got Gallant last week. It's Fawley who switched." Lucius replied.

He heard Sirius laugh, and some muttered comment he couldn't make out.

"You're both missing the obvious solution." A third voice drawled.

Unconsciously, he felt his lips pull into a wryly smile.

"Appeal to Burke. It'll get back to Macmillan who will do just about anything to remain in the running to replace him. He'll flip the whole house for you."

He bit his lip as he heard shuffling and someone clear their throat.

"Quite right Severus." Lucius said.

Draco shook his head before knocking and entering the room.

He found Sirius lounging at the window sill, Lucius was at the desk, and Severus was in one of the large chairs near the shelves of books on the left wall.

It was quite the picture, considering a few years ago he hardly thought it possible. It hadn't been a quick development, and at times he still felt that there was an unspoken tension...at least between Lucius and Sirius.

Though, as time went on it seemed to ease. They met from time to time, and with both men in the Wizengamot now their meetings had become more frequent.

Whatever awkward friendship had formed it was to his benefit.

The conversation between the three ceased as he stepped fully into the room.

He cleared his throat. "Well thank you all for coming." He said. He folded his arms, unconsciously he bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating how best to present the scheme he'd come up with.

At his silence, Severus raised his brow. "Are you going to tell us why you've gathered us all together now?"

He let out a breath.

"I know why Hermione won't set a date."

He saw Sirius open his mouth to speak, but he rushed to continue. He needed to get this out before, well, before he decided he didn't want to go through this scheme of going behind Hermione's back.

"I also have a plan that involves each of you."

* * *

Hermione let out a breath and filled away the last case she'd had thrown at her desk this morning. She leaned back in her chair a sense of deep satisfaction rushing over her.

She'd graduated from the Academy of Magical Studies that summer with double degrees in law and transfiguration. Immediately after, she'd accepted an offer at the Ministry. It had been a dream first job. After all, she had so many ideas and goals to accomplish when it came to new legislation.

It had been a few months now, but everything seemed to be moving at a snail's pace so to speak.

Perhaps she'd been naive, or rather, she hadn't stopped to consider the amount of bureaucratic nonsense that went on in the Ministry.

She was loathed to admit it, but Draco had been right when he'd told her she wouldn't be satisfied with the desk job each Ministry lawyer was given regardless of what department they technically belonged to.

He'd teased and said it might be better for her to start her own firm and take on her pro bono cases by direct suit to the Wizengamot, but she'd fired back that learning the in's and the out's of the Ministry if she expected to hold one of the family Wizengamot seats one day.

He'd shrugged, telling her that she very well might be Chief Warlock one day, but that he had a feeling her heart would lead her somewhere else even if her ambition pulled her in that direction.

She had to admit he knew her well. Maybe even better than she really knew herself.

 _Chief Warlock._

She'd have to first officially be married to Draco before she could even be in the Wizengamot. Until then, the most she could possibly attain was running for a seat in the People's Representative Council, a radical new body of legislature created after the war to mimic muggle parliament's House of Commons.

She sighed dropping her gaze to the ring that now decorated her finger.

An elegant silver band that house a diamond flanked by two white sapphires that managed to appear eye catching without being gaudy, a fact that she loved dearly.

It was perfect, and if she ever got around to seriously planning it, the wedding would be perfect too.

Though…

She swallowed thickly.

How could it be perfect if her own parents...whom she still only barely spoke to, ended up coming as guests just to keep up appearances.

She shook her head.

There was still time. She'd figure out a plan to help fix her relations with her family.

Just not today.

She stood up and set about righting her desk before grabbing her things and heading out the door.

She was meeting the girls later to get dinner and drinks. Though she was tired enough that she wished she was simply heading home to fall asleep, preferably with Draco holding her close to his firm chest.

Even if she did blow off the girls, Draco wouldn't be around until late when he said he might spend the night.

He was in the middle of an important paper he was hoping to co-publish with one of his professors. His deadline was Friday, so he'd told her in advance not to expect to see him too much this week until it was over.

They were going to celebrate on Friday with a small family dinner, and Draco had hinted that they would have other reasons for celebrating as well.

She smiled slightly as she slipped into a simple black dress and picked out a pair of shoes.

She was hoping Draco was going to announce he'd been accepted into the London School of Magical Medicine. She'd seen the odd brochures despite the great pains he'd obviously taken to keep his interest quiet.

His hesitance was understandable. He didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially when everyone around him had remarked on his abilities in healing magic before.

She glanced at her reflection once more, fixing her hair one last time before turning and flooring to the restaurant that Pansy had suggested for the evening.

They were quite an interesting group now, but postwar Wizarding Britain was a new world with infinite possibilities it seemed.

Pansy had been the first snake she'd befriended and then slowly she'd added Tracey and Daphne and with Ginny and Luna rounding out the group they'd formed their own unique social circle.

Pansy and Tracey had already arrived by the time she made it. Almost immediately she noted the beaming smiles on both their faces and slowly her eyes caught the gleam of a ring on Tracey's finger.

"Oh my goodness." She said softly as she sat, "Oh Congratulations Tracey.:

The girl in question blushed as her grin widened. She held out her hand affording Hermione a better look at the solitary diamond on the carved silver band.

"It was just yesterday." She said, the blush still staining her cheeks.

"It's lovely." She said with a small smile of her own.

The action was repeated as the rest of their group filled in, and Hermione couldn't help but feel grateful that the attention was off her for once.

She just wasn't in the mood to field off the endless questions of when exactly she and Draco would be tying the knot.

Her wish was granted as Tracey became the center of attention for the night. By the end of it, she'd thought she was safe when she announced she was departing only for Pansy and Ginny to announce they would be leaving too.

Inwardly she winced as they made their way to the restaurant's floo room, waiting for one of them to break the silence.

In the end it was Ginny who cleared her throat before turning so they they were all standing in a small circle facing each other.

"Hermione can I ask you a question?"

She bit her lip before nodding timidly.

"Is the reason," Ginny began softly, her eyes drifting to Pansy before coming back to settle on her, "that you won't set a date your family?"

"Because if it is," Pansy continued, "you don't have to hide it. We all understand if you'd like to wait for everything to settle between you all."

She blinked, her eyes stinging as she focused her gaze on her shoes. She closed them for a moment taking in a breath that rattled the inside of her chest.

She raised her chin slightly and blinked her eyes open.

"It's partly that." she said lowly, unsure she could maintain her composure if she spoke any louder. "I mean, they've barely met Draco. It was a coincidence that he ran into them when they were dropping off a few of my old things after they'd started cleaning out the house closets."

She bit her lip again.

"They haven't even asked to officially meet him, and how can I get married when they don't even care to meet my future husband or be involved in…" she clenched her jaw unable to continue her sentence without her voice cracking.

"Oh Hermione." Ginny said pulling her into a hug, "I know it doesn't exactly make up for your tense relations with your parents, but you know you're basically an adopted Weasley right? Mum would love to have another wedding to fret over."

She tightened her grip before pulling away. "I know Gin, but I still want to wait. I'm still hoping they'll come around."

"And you know we'd do anything to help with that." Pansy said then. Hermione smiled, warmed by the other girl's sentiment.

She nodded.

Pansy smiled in return. "Just." She took a breath, "Tell Draco. I think he's worried that maybe he rushed you into accepting the proposal."

Immediately she grew defensive ready to voice her thoughts when Pansy stopped her with a small laugh.

"I know. I know. You both are sickeningly in love, but what's he supposed to think if you don't give him a reason?"

She couldn't argue with that.

She ended up hugging Pansy, an action that had shocked the other girl more than anything before hugging Ginny once more and saying her goodbyes.

In truth, she was glad the two had confronted her. Having spoken her thoughts out loud after having kept them to herself for so long was liberating in so many ways.

It had also served a second purpose.

Motivation. Motivation that overcame her fear of being outright rejected by her parents.

The thought of that nearly made her shake her head in disbelief, because if her parents were going to cut her out of their lives they would have done so when she'd first restored their memories. Not 3 years later.

Resolved, she settled into bed with her most recent purchase from Flourish and Blotts, content that she would break all to Draco when he came home that night.

Time went on as she grew engrossed in her book, and before she knew it her lids had grown heavy and she drifted off into a light sleep.

She couldn't say how much time had passed before soft footsteps made their way into the bedroom.

She stirred slightly at the feeling of the weight in her arms disappearing as a whiff of Draco's cologne caught her nose. She murmured something, struggling to open her eyes when she heard him shush her softly.

"Don't wake up love." he murmured, kissing her shoulder as the bed dipped beneath her.

She kept her eyes closed but unconsciously turned toward him and sighed contently as his arms wrapped around her.

"Love you." she breathed.

"Love you too." he said softly as she happily drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The week flew by.

She'd been hit with another round of case files and been given her first chance to appear before a court on one of her cases. She grew lost in her preparation and then the actual preliminary hearing on Thursday had taken much longer than she'd thought.

She hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Draco either. He'd been in late every night, leaving early in the morning the next day. She was sure he was exhausted and she couldn't wait to finally have him to herself over the weekend.

She smiled slightly as she thought about the dress she was planning to wear to dinner.

Between his paper and her case there was a lot to be celebrating tonight.

She straightened at the sound of a door opening and a low sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Hermione?"

Well speak of the devil, and the devil will come.

She grinned as she answered telling him where to find her.

He gently knocked at her bedroom door before peeking his head through.

"Hey." he said softly.

She smiled, forcing it to remain on her face despite the concern she now felt. He looked more than a little haggard, lines around his face and the slightest of blemishes beneath his eyes with a slight wheeze tinging each of his breaths.

She walked over to the door, opening it fully and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He relaxed into her hold, letting his head rest in the crook of her neck. He let out a puff of air, tickling her skin as his hold around her tightening.

She pulled away slightly and pressed her lips gently to his.

"Hello." She breathed as she pulled away.

"Mmm." He answered in reply, his eyes still shut.

The corner of her mouth twitched as she kept her arms around him and led them both to fall onto her bed.

"This is nice." he mumbled balling a bit of her covers in his hand as he shifted his position.

"We still have some time before dinner." she said, "More than enough for a quick kip. I can wake you when it's time to get ready."

It was a testament to his exhaustion that he didn't protest her abandoning him in the bed. Though it was probably more impressive that he was fast asleep by the time she'd gotten out of the shower and begun to fix her hair.

It turned out he didn't need her to wake him. He'd slept for all but 30 minutes before he was up and asking if it was alright if he just got ready at her place instead of flooing back to his.

She was just about done, having just slipped into her dress, when he emerged from her bathroom dressed with his hair only just wet from the shower he'd taken earlier.

He looked much better to her relief, but the expression of shock on his face as his eyes darted down the form fitted dark grey dress she'd chosen for the evening...well, she couldn't help it.

She laughed, an action that was enough to pull him from whatever fantasies his mind had led him toward.

"Beautiful." he said, taking two steps before pulling her in for a kiss.

"I am going to have so much fun taking that off tonight." he murmured pressing kisses down her jaw.

"Draco." she said, ducking away from him, hoping her cheeks weren't too flushed despite the heat she felt was now radiating off her.

She pulled her coat from the closet and turned back to him.

"Keep it together. We're going to see your family." she chided before brushing past him, swaying her hips just a little more than normal.

"Behave until after dinner," she turned her head to catch his eye, "and I promise it will be worth the wait."

A cheshire grin spread across his face before he bowed his head formally.

"As the lady wishes."

Draco apparated them right to front door at the Black estates and out of formality he knocked before letting them both in.

They were barely through the front door before the sound of heels and Narcissa appear before them.

"Oh you're both early." She said before kissing Draco on the cheek and pulling her into a hug.

"Hermione dear you look lovely." Narcissa said complementing her dress.

She thanked her, straining her ears to make out the home of voices and fleeting sound of familiar laughter drifting from a room further into the house.

"We had to push dinner back since Andromeda stepped out with Nymphadora today and they ran late getting Teddy from the day camp. Everyone else though is in the back parlor." Narcissa said, her gaze briefly drifting to Draco.

For a moment, Hermione was sure she was going to say more before she announced she wanted to check on one last thing in the kitchen, leaving them both to escort themselves to the parlor.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it though as Draco led her down the hall and to the right to a larger though comfortable appearing living room. Really a stark contrast from the more formally decorated rest of the house.

She was about to say as much to Draco when she froze at the sound of one of the voices...or rather the face to the voice that had pulled at her memory the moment she heard laughter when stepping into the house.

Seated, just done laughing at something Sirius had undoubtedly said that even had Lucius smirking to his right was her father and to his right...

"Mum." she swallowed roughly before her eyes darted away to her father. "Dad."

She vaguely registered her body moving forward and Lucius and Sirius excusing themselves.

She was just before them when she realized that they too had stood to meet her half way.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Oh darling." her mum said, her eyes shining as they slid briefly from studying Hermione's face to just past her shoulder. "Your fiance came to see us last week."

She turned her head to look at Draco who nodded, appearing nervous for perhaps the first time before her.

"He formally introduced himself to us and over this past week he and his family." Her mother stopped to clear her throat, "They've been showing us everything you've been trying to tell us for these past few years."

"They showed us all these memories that your Professor Snape made into potions for us to see." Her father finally spoke, stopping only to glance at her mother to verify he'd named the correct individual.

"And darling." her mother continued, "some of it was so...so horrible." she shuddered, "and the rest...we've missed so much."

Hermione blinked as her eyes stung, but despite her efforts twin tracks of tears slid from the corner of her eyes down to drip of her cheeks.

Her mother seemed to crack at the sight and before she could blink she'd been pulled into her mother's chest and sandwiched between her parents as they embraced for the first time since maybe her fourth year.

"I've missed you both so much." she murmured unable to stop the tears as she shook.

Her mother hummed in agreement, stroking her hair in a manner not unlike she used to do to calm her down to fall asleep.

They stood like that, content in each other's embrace for quite some time before she finally pulled away and reached out to grab Draco's hand and pull him closer.

He came hesitantly and his unspoken question was clear on his face.

 _Was this alright?_

And she understood now why he'd been nervous.

He'd been worried that she'd be angry at his actions behind her back, but truthfully with her parents now in the same room as her and more than a few tears still left in her she couldn't even comprehend a situation where that would be the case.

She smiled in response as she brushed away a few of her tears with the back of her hand and pulled him into her side.

She cleared her throat. "I suppose you've all met and everything, but..." She turned to her parents, "Mum. Dad. This is the man I love." She stopped as a few more tears escaped her.

Her mother laughed lightly, brushing them away with the pads of her thumbs.

"We know love." she smiled before her eyes drifted to Draco, "And we think we're going to love him too."

* * *

After that the evening was utter perfection.

Everyone was getting along, and her parents seemed to be quite taken with Narcissa and Sirius and for a moment she even caught Lucius and her father joking.

Andromeda, Tonks, and Remus had arrived later with Teddy in tow and Snape had arrived after dinner, unable to get away from Hogwarts until then.

It was all quite beautiful really. How her family had easily been accepted and how well these greatly different personalities seemed able to not just play nice, but genuinely enjoy each other's company.

Hermione could honestly say she'd never felt more happy...more at peace than in that moment.

It was at that moment, though, that she noticed Draco was no longer at her side. Instead he'd drifted to the front of the room and was clearing his throat to draw attention to himself.

The room fell silent, and even young Teddy was quiet as he kept his large eyes fixed on Draco.

"I know that I originally planned this night as a reunion for Hermione and her family." he paused for a moment, straightening, "But I have some news I also wanted to share, and it's not about the paper that I'm co-publishing on Monday."

She held her breath.

"A few months ago I applied to London Med."

She heard Narcissa gasp, and she could see out of the corner of her eye Sirius, Lucius, and even Snape's shock clearly written on their faces.

Draco smiled slightly, no doubt amused at their reactions.

"I heard back two weeks ago. I've been accepted to start in June."

"Oh Draco!" Narcissa gracefully darted to her feet before rushing and embracing him.

She couldn't help but laugh, smiling so hard it hurt as Draco accepted congratulations before she shyly made her way to stand before him.

"I'm so proud of you." she murmured as she hugged him. He answered by hungrily kissing her, keeping it brief though. He leant his forehead against hers.

"Thank you." he murmured before turning them both to face the rest of his family.

"I'm not sure if I'll practice when I'm finished." he said, biting the inside of his cheek, "but it just...it seemed right."

The evening wound down quickly after Draco's announcement. Her parents had to make their way home and Teddy was long past his bedtime.

Draco led her to the floos and when they finally were alone in the living room of her flat he pulled her to stand in front of him with her hands held firmly in his.

"You're happy then? Not upset that I went behind your back?"

She shook her head. "So incredibly happy. Draco, what you did was amazing."

He sighed, his shoulder slumping as though a weight had finally lifted.

"I'm glad. I just figured." He cleared his throat, "I figured that that was they reason that you've been so...distant."

His thumb glided across her knuckles.

"But if that's not the reason...if maybe I rushed and you're not…"

"Draco." she silenced him.

"I want you, _yourself and nasty_ , for the rest of my life." she said, "and with everything as perfect as it is now...I don't want to put it off any longer. I want to make it perfectly clear." She took a breath, pulling her hands from his to cup his face, "I'm ready for the rest of our lives."

His mouth was on hers before she'd even finished her sentence.

And she grew lost, as she always did when his hands drifted down her sides and his tongue was toying with hers.

"Oh thank Merlin." he mumbled against her lips.

* * *

They were married in December. The ceremony itself was small though the reception afterward was larger to accommodate their both rather impressive guest lists.

They took a month long honeymoon in Italy and it wasn't until then that Hermione realized she was late.

Their pair of twin boys, practically identical except for their names, were born that September.

Cadmus Malfoy Black and Caelum Black Malfoy were beautiful blonde handfuls that she loved with every piece of her soul.

She'd especially loved the look of shock on both Lucius and Sirius's faces when Draco had announced that his children would ensure the continuation of both of his houses.

She'd never seen Lucius Malfoy so close to tears until Caelum was in his arms.

They went on.

Hermione quit her job at the Ministry and opened her own firm that had enacted reform after reform through their many cases they brought forth directly to the Wizengamot. By the time the twins were 7 and she'd given birth to her beautiful daughter Lyra, she'd stepped away, turning her company into a non-profit and retiring to a more comfortable position as the Hogwarts Transfiguration professor and later the Headmistress with ideas to enact better primary schooling for magical children and assimilation of muggleborns earlier into the world of magic.

And Draco.

He graduated as a healer and worked at St. Mungo's for 2 years before opening his own clinic and research company as part of Malfoy Industries just about the time Scorpius, they're last child, was born.

And of course, more free to set his hours, she found him dedicate more and more time to their children as that bit in him that always seemed distant, even after they'd married, seemed to settle.

And they were happy.

And their lives were beautiful.

And challenging.

But full to the brim with love.

 _Amor Omnia Vincit._


End file.
